Rehemaiis many things. She’s a 55-year-old mother of four, grandmother of five, farmer, leader in her Tanzanian community, educator and entrepreneur. But it’s her role as a fierce advocate for gender equality that most defines her life today.  

In her family it was Rehema’s husband who had final say over how their children were raised. Discussion of family planning was taboo, and she lacked the education and confidence to advocate for herself. That attitude manifested in her own daughter when, years later, the teen became pregnant. Ashamed, she gave birth in a latrine and wanted to dump the baby there. But Rehema showed her daughter love and acceptance. Today, the baby is two years old and the family is doing well. However, Rehema regrets not being more proactive in talking to her daughter about sexual and reproductive health and rights. 

Women who are educated about their bodies are better able to make informed decisions about their health, are more likely to promote gender equality, are better protected against diseases and unwanted pregnancy and are more likely to raise healthy families.  

This knowledge led Rehema to the firm belief that children should be taught about their bodies. So she joined an ENRICH women’s support group to learn more. With the guidance of a qualified health worker, these groups provide safe, supportive spaces for women to discuss issues related to family planning, nutrition, breastfeeding and equality in the home.  

Today Rehema is proud to speak up for women. She helps lead the women’s support group, advising members about family planning, promoting condom use and urging them to regularly seek health services. 

When Ajmira was 27, she saw a posting on her local government's bulletin board for a World Vision community health facilitator job. The mother of two jumped at the opportunity to help her community, which is in a remote district about 400 km away from Bangladesh’s capital, Dhaka. She received training in maternal nutrition and hygiene for new and expectant mothers and learned how to monitor the weight and nutrition of children under five years old. This was education she could share not only with families in her community but also use in her own household. It was also her first job. 

But Ajmira didn’t stop there. She also joined the Citizen Voice and Action initiative, which teaches people how to use their voices collectively to drive change within their villages. 

She now leads a Citizen Voice and Action group advocating for the development of a local health centre. It’s intended to serve as a hub where new and expecting mothers can get information about nutrition and access quality care and health advice. Armed with her knowledge and training, Ajmira says improved health outcomes is the kind of development most important to her community. 

t’s not just Raymond’s lively and affectionate relationship with his wife and kids that makes him stand out in his small Kenyan community. It isn’t even the fact that his plot of land is studded with row after row of green crops almost ready for harvest, despite it being dry season. He stands out because he takes on responsibilities that in his village are usually reserved for women. 

Raymond cooks, cleans, bathes his children and helps get them ready for school. He collects firewood and water, does the laundry and carries his kids in his arms or on his back. People whisper and gossip about his unusual behaviour but he does it anyway.And he loves it. 

MenCare is a model that brings men together to help them understand the importance of supporting their wives. MenCare provided a forum where Raymond could talk to the snickering men and share why he collected firewood and washed clothes. He was able to explain how it helped his family thrive. The proof was self-evident. After a while, the other men started to listen and behaviour in the community started to change. 

MenCare has supported the growth of Raymond’s lush crops – the program has taught him about nutrition and what foods will help his children grow strong and healthy. He’s led by example to address community taboos. He’s cultivated a brighter future for his family and become a changemaker not only for them, but also for those who once used to look at him and laugh.

Growing adequate crops using traditional farming practices had been an ever-present challenge for Bangladeshi rice farmer Sirajul and his community. But in 2016, he attended a meeting about a World Vision program called ENRICH. There he learned about zinc rice, which provides up to 60% of a person’s daily zinc serving, as well its health benefits, higher yield and resilience to disease. Through ENRICH, Sirajul received 3 kg of seeds and fertilizer along with training on their use. 

Crop yield was subsequently plentiful. Sirajul, his wife Sokhnia and their 7-year-old son Shohanur, started eating zinc rice regularly. The family’s overall health improved. Moved to share his bounty, Sirajul gave some of his rice crop to pregnant women in the community. This helped put other expectant moms in a better position to raise healthy babies. 

But that was only the beginning of Sirajul’s empowerment. 

He has since become involved in other ENRICH initiatives. Nominated to be the community leader of his village, today he leads a MenCare group. The group facilitates dialogue between men in the community to challenge rigid gender norms, overcome cultural barriers and increase male involvement in the household. It’s Sirajul’s hope that this social development will give women increased decision-making power in their families and community. 

Sophia’s reason for taking part in training led by World Vision’s ENRICH program was simple: as an active member of her community, she’s always had a desire to develop and learn new ways to help herself and those around her. 

The training she received taught her and other women how to plant orange-fleshed sweet potatoes. The twist about this program was its focus on mothers and babies. Orange-fleshed sweet potatoes are high in vitamin A, which boosts the body’s immune system. Vitamin A also helps combat night blindness, which can be a problem for children and pregnant mothers and can even lead to total blindness if not properly addressed. In Sophia’s community, Tanzania’s Shinyanga Region, Vitamin A and iron deficiency in pregnant mothers is of particular concern. 

Because she’s an influencer, Sophia’s efforts to plant and harvest these nutrient-rich sweet potatoes inspired others in the community to follow suit. With their newfound knowledge and improved farming practices, Sophia’s community has been empowered to take their nutrition into their own hands. 

Vincent is a successful farmer who is well known in his Kenyan community. He owns several fields and sells his crops in the market. Vincent loves learning new techniques to help improve his business, so he was quick to take advantage of ENRICH’s model farming initiative. 

He received training along with seeds for sweet potatoes and iron rich beans (naturally enhanced through plant breeding techniques). He’s been happy to find that the nutrient-rich potatoes have a shorter growing season and make for a less laborious harvest. They’re also healthier, don’t require as much expensive oil when cooking and are heavier in the stomach so they keep his family well fed. 

Ideally, everyone would have access to a mix of fruit, vegetables and protein necessary for a healthy diet.  Unfortunately, in many vulnerable communities worldwide, most people still cannot afford nourishing food. In Vincent’s region of East Africa, drought can sometimes pose an even greater challenge to growing and sustaining crops. 

However, biofortification has empowered more farmers like Vincent to grow nutrient-rich, drought-resistant and more cost-effective crops. For vulnerable communities, this is a lifesaver. 

That is one of the reasons the ENRICH- 1,000 Day Journey has partnered with Harvest Plus International to help provide biofortified seeds rich in vitamins and minerals to farmers in ENRICH communities at no cost to the farmers. It’s a program that has a positive impact far beyond a freshly planted field: when farmers like Vincent  produce healthier, nutritious crops, their children experience a brighter future and good health.