The Urban Nutrition Initiative Phase II is a consortium project implemented by three partners: Diabetes Awareness Trust (DAT), Feedback to the Future (FttF), and the Alliance Bioversity & CIAT (ABC). The project, titled “Scaling Kenya’s Organic Food System through Enhanced Market Access for Vulnerable Consumers in Nairobi.

ABC serves as the lead coordinating organization, while DAT and FttF are the implementing partners. DAT focuses on vulnerable consumers in Viwandani, Makadara Sub-County, Nairobi, with a particular emphasis on people managing non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and mothers with children under five years. FttF primarily works with small-scale farmers in Kilome Sub-County, Makueni County, while also engaging with communities in Viwandani.

Why This Project Matters

Unhealthy diets are now the leading cause of death worldwide. In Kenya, the urban poor are among the most affected  facing food insecurity, malnutrition, and diet-related diseases while living in informal settlements where safe, affordable, and nutritious food remains out of reach. Existing food and agricultural policies do little to change this, continuing to favour unsustainable practices over healthier, more equitable alternatives.

Phase 1 showed that a different food system is possible. Working across Viwandani , DAT reached 3,487 consumers through nutrition education forums, cooking demonstrations, and household follow-ups. 48 Community Health Workers were trained on the link between agroecology and human health and 17,610 people were reached indirectly. The model worked.

Phase 2 is about reaching more. Building on that foundation, DAT is expanding its work in Viwandani  training more Community Health Promoters, supporting more households, and establishing organic urban demonstration gardens that give residents the skills to grow their own food. The communities are ready, the evidence is clear, and Phase 2 is the opportunity to turn proven impact into something bigger and more lasting.

DAT’s Role

In Urban Phase 2, DAT contributes to two of the four core project results:

1. Raising consumer awareness – increasing knowledge and improving practices around food acquisition and preparation to promote safe, diverse, and healthy diets that can help prevent malnutrition and NCDs.
2. Scaling a proven organic food system model – supporting the expansion of an organic food system by building community capacity.

To achieve this, DAT is:

• Training new and reinforcing existing Community Health Promoters (CHPs) in Viwandani on safe and healthy food acquisition and preparation, diet quality, and NCD-risk foods  and developing monitoring tools to track the reach and quality of their community sessions.
• Delivering nutrition and health education trainings directly to households in Viwandani, with structured follow-up visits to reinforce learning and support lasting dietary behaviour change.
• Establishing organic urban demonstration gardens in Viwandani where households learn hands-on how to grow their own fruits and vegetables.
• Training school teachers on nutrition, NCD prevention, and organic food production to integrate healthy diet education into school activities  through demonstration gardens that directly engage pupils.

The Bigger Picture

Phase II marks a shift from pilot to scale and systems change. The focus is on embedding sustainable practices within communities, strengthening linkages across the food system, and ensuring that vulnerable populations can access healthier food options.

Through this work, DAT is contributing to a practical, scalable model for improving urban nutrition, one that can inform policy and be adapted across Kenya.

For more information, contact info@diabetesawarenesstrust.org