Tom van Mourik of Helen Keller International (HKI) regional office and Strengthening Partnerships, Results and Innovations in Nutrition Globally (SPRING)-Senegal, Albert Yéra Boubane – SBCC Advisor at SPRING-Senegal, Mariam Sy – Nutrition Advisor at SPRING-Senegal and Aliou Babou – Agriculture Advisor at SPRING-Senegal put together this video on the advantages of orange-fleshed sweetpotato (OFSP) that won this year’s Communication for Change Award.
This is a community video conceived to encourage men and women farmers to try out and adopt orange-fleshed sweetpotato (OFSP) for improved nutrition and food security. As OFSP is new in this area, this is a video to get people curious and create demand for this crop. In Sibinokho village in the Kaffrine Region of Senegal, women have started growing and consuming a new kind of potato: the nutrient-rich orange-fleshed sweet potato (OFSP). This variety of potato is rich in vitamins A, B, and C, and is effective in reducing malnutrition. Using irrigation, the women in Sibinokho grow OFSP both in the dry season and rainy season. Plus, OFSP is a delicious addition to a variety of local dishes. Cheikh is a farmer, who gets introduced to OFSP by his aunt Mariam. She also shows him techniques for growing this special variety of sweetpotato and some delicious dishes that can be prepared with it. She also sensitizes Cheikh on the nutritional benefits of OFSP and how men can support women in securing a good harvest.