Stop
nutritional stunting of
young children
The physical height of our children is a leading indicator of the future health of the nation, its social stability and its economic prospects. Yet we are trapped by poor nutrition that damages children before they go to school and impacts them into adulthood. We have yet to find a better predictor of an adult’s economic potential than their height at two years of age, and yet, even though we know this, a fifth to a quarter of children in South Africa are stunted (i.e. have a low height to age ratio).
Zero-stunting would mean that one million more young children are able to thrive each year – increasing our GDP by at least 2%.
We will continue investing in a national zero-stunting campaign that seeks to intervene during the first 1 000 days of a child’s life by supporting parents and caregivers to encourage behaviour change and reduce rates of stunting. We are exploring how we can leverage a ‘child-centred food systems’ approach to better understand and support initiatives that address food system reform, climate change and make early learning programmes hubs for nutrition. Alongside this work, we will continue to support research that measures the nutritional status, and development progress, of South Africa’s children, at both a provincial and district level, to build a strong evidence base where it has historically been sorely lacking. This growing body of research and evidence is building support for the emergence of an advocacy coalition to promote nutrition and children’s well-being.
Our goal is to reduce the prevalence of stunting among children aged 0–5 by continuing to invest in a national zero-stunting campaign.
What we are working on…
- Reducing the prevalence of stunting for children under five from approximately 23% to 16%.
- Mobilising critical actors (state, civil society and business) towards the goal of zero-stunting.
- Utilising an approach to food systems that reduces and prevents stunting.
DGMT’s Grow Great project aims to deliver a package of social and behaviour change interventions aimed at improving maternal and child health, nutrition and early childhood development practices.
Escaping the inequality trap requires a twist in our thinking.
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Flagship projects addressing this opportunity
Civil society projects addressing this opportunity
These projects are by no means a comprehensive list of the work of civil society. This list represents a small selection of organisations that will be updated from time to time
Healthy mother raising healthy children
For the past 44 years, the Philani Maternal, Child Health and Nutrition Trust has played a critical role in the delivery of improved maternal and child health outcomes in the Western Cape and in the Eastern Cape. Philani has developed an evidence-based programmatic model that shows that effective and scalable maternal and child nutritional interventions have the potential to reduce and address child undernutrition. Philani’s flagship Mentor Mother programme has proved to be cost-effective, easily implemented by community health workers (CHWs) and more effective over a longer period of time. Over time the work of Philani has expanded to also include early learning programmes, alcohol harm reduction interventions in the home and income-generating programmes that target women.
Early childhood nutrition & play
Zero2Five’s mission is to promote holistic Early Childhood Development in formerly disadvantaged areas by improving learners’ health and education outcomes with nutrition and education programmes. Zero2Five helps children reach their developmental milestones in their formative years for them to reach their full potential and have a safe and prosperous future life. This work also includes providing over 800 unfunded and under-resourced Early Childhood Development Centres in marginalized communities with highly nutritious meals, nutrition & WASH training programmes for teachers and ongoing monitoring and mentoring. Alongside this, Zero2Five implements large-scale GMP (Growth Monitoring and Promotion) campaigns and measures the growth and development in ECD centres to monitor its nutrition programme.
Empowering grandmothers to strengthen early childhood wellbeing
goGOGOgo is a hub dedicated to improving health outcomes and life opportunities for grandmothers (GOGOs) and the children they raise. Through programmes like gogoCARE, which trains grandmothers to support pregnant daughters and mothers using an adapted Flourish model in Gauteng, Limpopo, and Mpumalanga, it empowers GOGOs as community change agents. The organisation also advocates for recognition of their vital role, mobilises resources, and fosters collaboration to support their efforts in raising children and strengthening communities.
Youth-led nutrition support for young children and families
Masiphumelele Creative Hub (MCH) is a South African non-profit organisation founded in 2017 to provide a safe, supportive environment where creativity and art empower the community to overcome challenges. Food security is central to MCH's mission, evident in its response during the 2020 lockdown when it provided 1,100 meals daily through seven feeding stations. Today, MCH trains youth (aged 19–35) as child nutrition champions in Masiphumelele, engaging them in ECD centres, clinics, and schools. Their work includes community nutrition education, breastfeeding support groups, food gardens, and nutritious meal provision, encouraging sustainable resource use while supporting child development.
Scaling reliable nutrition for young children
Ladles of Love’s Nourish Our Children Programme is attempting to change the current stunting statistics in South Africa. They deliver two healthy meals a day to preschool children and their teachers, ensuring they have the energy to learn and grow. With additional support, the organisation aims to strengthen its monitoring and evaluation systems and expand its reach to additional ECD centres. This presents an opportunity to enhance both programme quality and scale.
Healing, nutrition and rehabilitation for vulnerable children
Located in Montana, Cape Town, it serves severely vulnerable communities. It is St Joseph’s belief that no child should be left behind because of the circumstances they were born into, or their need for ongoing care after hospital. St Joseph’s provides critical, life-changing nutrition and rehabilitation to severely ill and malnourished children from vulnerable communities, ensuring they can heal, grow, and reintegrate into their families and schools. Their holistic approach combines clinical care, therapy, and family counselling, addressing not just medical needs but long-term nutritional and developmental recovery. They are currently innovating a tool to show measurable improvements in children’s nutrition and health outcomes, proving the programme’s impact and replicability.
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