The UNOPS 2 SUN Pooled Fund project, implemented in partnership with Save the Children, was designed to improve the health and nutrition status of mothers and children under five in Malawi. The initiative was implemented at both the national and district levels, with Mzimba as the focal district for sub-national activities. Through a collaborative approach, CSONA and Save the Children worked to strengthen multi-sectoral coordination, enhance nutrition advocacy, and expand community-based interventions targeting maternal and child nutrition.

At the national level, CSONA and Save the Children played a leading role in advancing the functionality of multi-stakeholder platforms such as the SUN Business Network. Together, they identified and trained 20 Members of Parliament as nutrition champions, conducted a national media fact-finding mission, and supported 30 companies across the three regions of Malawi to introduce workplace nutrition programs. These efforts were instrumental in promoting nutrition as a key pillar of national development and strengthening accountability at the highest levels of decision-making.

Within Mzimba district, CSONA led targeted advocacy efforts by conducting district-level nutrition advocacy trainings, budget tracking sessions, and a Public Expenditure Tracking Survey focused on the School Health and Nutrition homegrown school feeding program. A district-level advocacy strategy was developed and used to guide engagements with the full council, resulting in lobbying efforts for increased resource allocation to nutrition in the district development framework. Additionally, 12 members of the Mzimba CSO chapter were trained in budget tracking to support ongoing transparency and oversight in nutrition financing.

At the community level, Save the Children implemented interventions that reached a wide base of households through care groups and community education. This included training 2,935 cluster leaders under Traditional Authority Mbelwa in maternal health and nutrition, who then conducted peer-to-peer sessions, cooking demonstrations, and household visits. Twelve male champions were trained to support maternal and adolescent nutrition efforts, and care group sessions were conducted regularly on modules covering maternal nutrition and breastfeeding. The campaign culminated in a district-wide commemoration of National Breastfeeding Week, further raising awareness on the importance of early child nutrition.

In total, the project reached 26,423 households in Mzimba with maternal health and nutrition messages. It also oriented 15 Members of Parliament on the importance of nutrition as a core development priority, building momentum for policy advocacy and budgetary support.

The project specifically aimed to improve country planning for maternal and child health nutrition, mobilize and advocate for impactful change, strengthen the capacity of both government and civil society systems for nutrition action, and ensure that equity and inclusion, particularly for women, girls, and children under five, were at the center of all efforts. Through a multi-level and multi-actor strategy, the initiative demonstrated how coordinated efforts can lead to measurable improvements in nutrition governance and community health outcomes.