We worked on our conceptual framework over the last class and we were able to complete the framework for the overarching problem of child stunting and also the solution that we proposed to solve stunting. We decided to address stunting because malnutrition is such a broad category and it encompasses both overweighted and underweighted children. Stunting is a prevalent issue that directly impacts the way children develop physically, mentally, and emotionally.
(Conceptual Framework : The Overarching Problem of Stunting)
The flow of the frameworks works from the bottom up. Cultural norms play a role in the food availability that the families have to offer to their children. For example, it is very culturally acceptable to feed their children rice and bread but those foods do not add to the nutrients in their daily diet. This leads to food insecurity feeding to the lack of proper nutrients and child stunting. The lack of education also plays a role in food availability and accessibility. The lack of accessibility in the food markets increase the rates of disease and food insecurities. Both of these directly impact the level of nutrients that the child will receive on a daily basis. If there isn’t accessibility to the nutrients and the foods that these children need, they are more prone to the diseases which directly impacts their ability to be stunted. The poor infrastructure also directly impacts the path to child stunting because without the proper method to get to the food, they really can’t obtain the food. The poor infrastructure directly impacts the affordability of the foods because if the food isn’t easily accessible, then it directly impacts how much the vendors will charge the people for the food, especially if the vendors have to extend their travels. The lack of affordability means that parents cannot afford to feed their children properly adding to the disease. The lack of proper health care also plays a role in the disease rates because children cannot be treated in a timely and affordable manner.
(Conceptual Framework : The Solution to Stunting)
The solution framework starts with our venture, NewTrition and eventually leads to reduced rates in child stunting. NewTrition sources their products from local ingredients and partners with local farmers. This stimulates the local economy and directly makes the products more affordable. This causes the ingredients to be bought in bulk. This again directly relates to the affordability of the products because they can be bought a lower cost and therefore sold to the customers at a more affordable price. Sourcing the ingredients locally increases the availability of the products because there’s not importation of the main ingredients. The availability and affordability directly plays into the access of the micronutrients and the increased micronutrients reduces the rates of the child stunting.