As part of its commitment to improving the health, nutrition, and wellbeing of children and adolescents, ACRIF integrated a School Health and Nutrition Education component into the Women’s Empowerment for Improved Nutrition of Infants, Young Children, and Mothers project, funded by Deutsche Welthungerhilfe e.V. The broader project was implemented in the Marodi/Jeex and Togdheer regions of Somaliland from January 2023 to December 2025, using Social and Behavior Change (SBC) approaches to strengthen nutrition knowledge and practices at household and community levels.

Recognizing adolescence as a critical stage for growth, development, and the formation of lifelong health behaviors, the school-based component specifically targeted adolescent girls across six primary schools in six implementation sites. The initiative provided age-appropriate nutrition and health education designed to strengthen girls’ understanding of healthy diets, personal hygiene, adolescent nutrition, and practices that support their physical wellbeing and development.

The school-based activities complemented the project’s wider Maternal, Infant, Young Child, and Adolescent Nutrition interventions. Trained Community Nutrition Workers (CNWs) supported the delivery of Social and Behavior Change messages through participatory education and peer-learning approaches, helping translate key nutrition information into practical behaviors that adolescent girls could apply in their daily lives.

The program also strengthened the connection between schools, households, and communities. By engaging adolescent girls as an important audience for nutrition education, the initiative encouraged them to make informed choices about their own health while sharing positive nutrition and hygiene practices within their families and peer groups. This approach recognized adolescent girls not only as beneficiaries, but also as potential agents of positive change within their communities.