Bringing Nutrition and Health Education to Rural China

Hundreds of social workers in China now have a new tool to help vulnerable children and families —  thanks to a resource created by Holt’s child nutrition program.

In the past two decades, rapid development in China’s urban centers have lifted millions of people out of poverty. Today China — a nation of 1.4 billion people — boasts the world’s second-largest economy. But the nation’s wealth is not distributed equally. In fact, many children and families in rural communities struggle to get by. Out of desperation, young people living in these communities often migrate to cities in search of work, many of them leaving their children behind in the care of elderly grandparents or relatives. Often, these relatives struggle to provide for them on their own meager resources, placing children at risk for malnutrition, poor growth and impaired development. Infants and children with disabilities are among the most vulnerable to these conditions.  

But with the support of Holt donors, one global program is empowering families in China to safeguard children in their care.

Holt Targets Nearly 3,000 Children and Their Families

In 2014, we developed the Holt International Child Nutrition Program (CNP), an innovative nutrition and feeding program that helps children living in orphanages, foster homes and impoverished communities become healthier and experience a better quality of life. This donor-funded program has since been implemented in eight countries, including China, and offers education and community outreach among its many services.

“I think the flipbook is very interesting and innovative. There are pictures and words in it, [and it is] very visual.”

Social Worker in China

In 2021, the CNP team created the Child Nutrition Program Community Flipbook as one of its community outreach tools. The flipbook is just that — a book that social workers can flip through when visiting with families to teach proper nutrition and health practices. It provides answers to questions and engages families in activities on topics such as general nutrition, health conditions, women and infants, nutrition by age, feeding support and mealtimes, and hygiene and sanitation. Using simple pictures and storylines, the flipbook is geared toward the participatory engagement of audiences of various literacy levels.

Although initially produced in English, in 2022 Holt’s U.S.-based CNP team worked closely with our team in China and in strong partnership with the Chinese government to create a Chinese version of the flipbook. This past April, 357 flipbooks were distributed to social workers in Xinxiang, a city in Henan province with nearly 3,000 vulnerable children. Holt’s CNP team trained the social workers in how to use the flipbooks when they visit children and their families in their homes to learn more about their needs, help them gain access to essential services and offer fundamental nutrition and health education. “I think the flipbook is very interesting and innovative,” shared one social worker who attended a training. “There are pictures and words in it, [and it is] very visual.”

Holt China plans to reach nearly 3,000 children and their families in Xinxiang with education and support. Once the initial program is implemented and assessed, the team will extend its reach to other provinces. “We are so happy to see that the CNP program can go into Chinese communities, especially in rural areas,” says Kate, a staff member at Holt China. “Scientific nurturing is not only a kind of skill, but also a mindset, and we hope that such a good mindset will reach the hearts and minds of more vulnerable and ‘left-behind’ children and their parents.”

Nutrition and health education strengthens families and improves lives. Thanks to the generous support of Holt donors, the CNP and its Child Nutrition Program Community Flipbook are reaching those who need it most — and making this dream a reality.