Empowering women through probiotic fermented food in East Africa

• Published in: Journal of global health Vol. 10; no. 1; p. 010330
• Main Authors: Reid, Gregor, Sybesma, Wilbert, Matovu, William, Onyango, Arnold, Westerik, Nieke, Kort, Remco
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Scotland Edinburgh University Global Health Society 01.06.2020; International Society of Global Health
• Subjects: Africa, Eastern; Commerce; Consumption; Dairy cattle; Developing Countries; Empowerment; Families & family life; Female; Fermented Foods and Beverages; Food; Food production; Gender; Global health; Globalization; Humans; Industrialized nations; Infant mortality; LDCs; Low income groups; Malnutrition; Medical treatment; Milk; Nutrition; Organizational Case Studies; Pesticides; Poverty; Power, Psychological; Probiotics; Processed foods; Profits; Schools; Sexually transmitted diseases; STD; Success; Traditions; Value chain; Viewpoints; Womens health; Yogurt; Africa, Eastern; Uganda; East Africa; Tanzania
• ISSN: 2047-2978; 2047-2986
• DOI: 10.7189/jogh.10.010330

Confounding factors include lack of education, societal traditions that favour males, malnutrition and insufficient local food production, unemployment especially amongst youth, poor transportation, high rates of infant mortality, and poor access to clean water, electricity, housing and heat. [...]the globalization of food and need for more to service the growing population has resulted in the wider use of chemical pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers, and a departure from traditions of fermenting foods such as millet, to consumption of maize, sugary drinks and processed foods [3]. The sachets and pro-poor model enabled her to transition from poverty and a thatched single room dwelling to owning 20 dairy cows, employing 27 staff, sending her four children to better schools, owning a new concrete home with iron roof, and producing up to 200 L of probiotic yogurt per day. While this does not mean Winnie has lowered her risk all diseases per se, she now has the means to access medical treatment and nutritious food, and the financial independence that can prevent women having to trade sex for food, as many counterparts have done resulting in the spread of HIV [11].