Programs
NUTRITION
NEI’s soy nutrition initiative for Afghan women and children has three health-and- nutrition-related programs:
1) Soybean production
2) Humanitarian soymilk feeding project in high-mortality areas
3) Soy processing industry and soy food culture development
Soybean production
NEI works closely with Afghan farmers and the Ministry of Agriculture to develop a self-sustaining soybean production industry in the country. The Minister of Counter-Narcotics has also shown support, calling soybean a viable, high-potential cash crop for farmers. In addition to selling soybeans in the market, many farmers prefer to consume parts of their harvest at home with their families because soy is nutritious and tastes good. In addition to production, NEI has also started efforts to develop a soybean seed industry in Afghanistan so farmers can have a reliable, domestic source of seeds and continue fruitful production of the highly nutritious crop.
We also work with the Ministry of Women’s Affairs (MoWA) to train Afghanistan’s mothers, wives, and female leaders about the health benefits of soy. MoWA officials often travel to different provinces to hold health seminars and cooking demonstrations on the home-use of soy.
1 ton of soybean seeds yields 40 tons of consumable soy, which can provide up to 10,000 families of 6 with proper protein intake during 3 months of harsh winter season. To date, over 4,200 farmers in 15 provinces have harvested over 2,000 tons of soybeans.
Humanitarian soymilk feeding program
This humanitarian, immediate-intervention project was the result of close collaboration between NEI and Afghanistan’s Ministry of Women’s Affairs. In each of our 4 facilities, approximately 900 women and children receive soymilk 3 times a week. Soymilk is processed on-site and then delivered to surrounding villages, many of which are rural and impoverished. The goal is to reduce malnutrition-related deaths in high-mortality regions with an immediate source of protein through soymilk.
In conjunction with this project, NEI conducted “train the trainer” sessions with Ministry of Women’s Affairs officials on preparing roasted soy nuts at home. Teams then went to the villages to demonstrate soybean cooking techniques and distributed soybeans to village women.
Soy processing industry
In addition to soymilk distribution and soybean-consumption at home, Afghanistan needs a long-term soy foods industry to insure that proper protein intake by its people will continue for generations to come. Thus NEI created a soy processing industry division called Nutriana when it established the first soy flour factory in Kabul in November 2007. At the factory, workers process raw soybeans grown by Afghan farmers into soy flour (and later soy oil), which can be used as bases in an endless possibility of nutritional products and foods (ie: fortified high protein soy/wheat flour blend, high-protein biscuits, beverage powder). Processed soy flour and oil can also be used in animal feed to fortify the health and quality of Afghanistan’s poultry and dairy industries.
A small 10:90 soy-wheat flour mix to make naan (a type of flatbread that is a staple in Afghan diet) increases the body’s absorbable protein intake by 150%. Hence, we constantly look for partnerships and avenues through which we can get more high-protein soy flour into the hands of more malnourished women and children.
Private sector development is needed to popularize soybean production on a national scale and thus fight malnutrition. NEI attends many meetings with businessmen inside and outside of Afghanistan for this purpose.
EDUCATION
NEI just started to expand its reach into higher education with the establishment of the Institute of Nutrition Sciences and Humanities (projected completion date Fall 2009). The Afghan government granted NEI a 99-year, renewable land lease on 30 acres in Mazar-e-Sharif (Balkh province) to establish this university.
The goal is to develop and equip young Afghan men and women in nutrition sciences and food technology so they can build strong health and nutrition industry infrastructure and thus look after the health of their nation. We also hope to raise future leaders who can establish and implement public policies for the well-being of the general public.
The four year university accredited by the Afghanistan Higher Education Board will include a College of Nutrition Sciences and Technology and a College of Humanities and Social Sciences. We are working in close collaboration with Afghanistan’s Ministry of Higher Education and various universities around the world to accomplish this task.
