Over 1,500 families in Machakos County received free nutrition screening and education during a successful nutrition camp organized by Kenya Nutritionists and Dieticians Institute (KNDI) in partnership with Pwani Oil Products Limited (Pwani Oil). The program, which ran from June 6 – 7, 2024, aimed to identify and provide support to at-risk populations in need of nutrition and dietetics interventions.
The initiative was spearheaded by Pwani Oil’s renowned Fresh Fri brand of vegetable cooking oil, which was endorsed by the KNDI in 2023. Leveraging this endorsement, the Fresh Fri camp provided attendees with personalized consultations from expert nutritionists and dieticians, offering invaluable education and counseling to empower families to make informed decisions about their nutrition and overall well-being.
As part of the camp, participating families also received health packages containing Fresh Fri Vegetable Cooking Oil, further emphasizing Pwani Oil’s commitment to promoting healthy lifestyles within the community.
“We are proud to see Fresh Fri, which was endorsed by KNDI as the first good-for-health vegetable oil brand, partnering with KNDI in a nutritional camp targeting the high nutrition risk population areas of Kenya, particularly in Machakos. This initiative underscores our dedication to building a healthier community through nutrition,” said Rajul Malde, Pwani Oil’s Commercial Director.
The collaboration between Pwani Oil and KNDI, facilitated through the Agenda Training Research Institute (ATRI), focused on providing free nutrition diagnosis, specifically targeting at-risk populations.
Dr. David Okeyo, CEO of KNDI, emphasized the importance of early screening and household-level interventions in preventing common nutrition and dietetic problems, thus reducing the burden of curative care on health facilities.
“Kenya is currently facing a heavy burden of curative care at health facilities, much of which could be prevented through community-level interventions such as early screening,” he said.
“Our Institute has identified that over 70 percent of health cases in hospitals could be attributed to nutritional challenges, highlighting the urgent need for initiatives like this nutrition camp.”
The success of the Machakos camp highlighted the central position of public-private partnerships in addressing nutrition challenges and improving community health outcomes. This is as Pwani Oil and KNDI showcased their collaborative work in promoting nutrition education and empowering communities in Kenya.
