This blog post was written by Joe Sanders, Chief of Party, USAID-Nepal Flood Recovery Program.

Nutrition is an important component of economic development and food security. Evidence shows that malnutrition in the first two years of life permanently reduces cognitive function and physical capacity, making individuals more vulnerable to disease. This, in turn, reduces productivity, slows economic growth, and perpetuates poverty.

Nutrition practices are often based on customs and beliefs passed down for generations, which can make them difficult to change. It is only through strong relationships built on trust and consistency that we can hope to introduce sustainable nutrition practices that will improve food security for rural smallholder farmers.

Fintrac first started working in Nepal in the aftermath of the devastating 2007 and 2008 floods. Our USAID-funded Nepal Flood Recovery Program (NFRP) helped flood-affected communities “build back better.” We focused on small-scale community infrastructure projects such as bridges, irrigation channels, and schools, employing thousands of otherwise unemployed men and women. Through these projects, our teams got to know and understand these rural communities. Through subsequent extensions of NFRP, we began to focus more on commercial agriculture – introducing high-value crops and good agriculture practices to increase both incomes and food security, which is what the Feed the Future global hunger and food security initiative is all about.

Now in our third and final phase, we can see the far-reaching impact of using an integrated approach. By focusing on agricultural assistance and community development first, we earned the trust of small-scale farmers who have seen a bridge repaired or experienced significant increases in crop productivity. Witnessing these successes, families gain confidence in the program’s abilities and are more likely to trust our advice in other areas. We’re also on the ground every day, visiting farmers, checking in on children, and supporting community-based health centers.

I hear stories from my team every day about the impact our work has on an individual level. Take the story of Phulmati Rana – Phulmati could barely support her family of eight with her small rice crop. Her husband had to spend half of every year working in India for extra money. Her children were undernourished, subsisting on small meals of rice. After working with NFRP’s agronomists, Phulmati learned how to plant and harvest high-value vegetables such as cauliflower, tomato, and eggplant. Her family’s income has drastically increased, her children are healthier, and her husband stays in Nepal to help run the family farm.

Or look at Roni Rana, a 19-year-old mother who participated in one of NFRP’s health and nutrition workshops – Roni had no idea why her infant baby was always fussy and ill, but after attending a training on infant nutrition she was able to provide adequate nutrition through breastfeeding. “My baby is four months old now,” she said. “She is growing healthy and has stopped crying as she used to.”

These stories, and many others, would not be possible without mutually trusting relationships. Earning confidence and respect can often be more valuable, and more sustainable, than a hundred infrastructure projects.

Read more on USAID-NFRP’s nutrition and hygiene component.