Since 2012, SPRING has been collaborating with its US- and India-based partner, Digital Green, in adapting their "human-mediated digital learning approach" for the promotion of key maternal, infant, and young child nutrition (MIYCN) and hygiene-related behaviors. As a pioneer in its field, Digital Green is now marrying agriculture-focused community videos with SPRING's nutrition expertise and messaging, reaching new audiences through mobile video screenings and facilitated discussions, with adoptions of key behaviors verified through home visits.
A suite of 10 videos on high-impact MIYCN and hygiene practices has been developed and disseminated through local partner Voluntary Association for Rural Reconstruction and Appropriate Technology (VARRAT)’s agriculture-focused Self Help Groups (SHGs) in 30 communities in Keonjhar District of Odisha, India. The feasibility of this approach has been evaluated under SPRING.
These short (10 to 15 minute) videos, which can be accessed here on the Digital Green website, are produced in the local language of Odia, and are currently being shared with other communities and organizations working in Odisha. They have also been made available online through the Digital Green platform, where a data dashboard also shares information on the number of people exposed to the videos, the adoptions or promotion of the key behaviors, and questions asked by SHG members. The collaboration is gaining attention as an innovative, sustainable, and effective way to tie globally-recognized nutrition messages with locally-appropriate mobile technologies and organizations.
The video, Leveraging Community-led Video for Nutrition, was created to showcase this innovative approach to using community-led videos for nutrition. Basanti's Story features a testimonial from Basanti Mahji, a program beneficiary in Keonjhar, discussing the impact the videos from this collaboration have had on her life and the health of her children.
