The document summarizes activities of the Ethiopia Civil Society Coalition for Scaling Up Nutrition (ECSC-SUN). Key points include: 1) ECSC-SUN hosted a nutrition learning forum in December 2016 to discuss coordinated efforts to address malnutrition. The forum highlighted ECSC-SUN's achievements and priorities for the next phase. 2) ECSC-SUN delegates participated in an international learning exchange in Rwanda where they developed an innovation plan on using media to raise nutrition awareness. This plan won an award. 3) ECSC-SUN is refining its strategic priorities for 2017-2020 which include supporting implementation of Ethiopia's second National Nutrition Program. It is also discussing leadership and funding arrangements for

1. Ethiopia Civil Society Coalition for Scaling Up Nutrition
(ECSC-SUN)
Engage, Inspire, Invest
What’s Inside
ECSC-SUN Won Innovation Plan Award in
International Learning Exchange 2
______________________________________________
Irish Aid is to Grant ECSC-SUN members
scholarship 2
______________________________________________
Shaping ECSC-SUN’s Future 3
______________________________________________
Nutrition Learning Adventure – 2016 Legacy 3
______________________________________________
ECSC-SUN in Action 4
______________________________________________
What is New Around Nutrition in Ethiopia Recently 4
______________________________________________
Women Development Army—An Arm for Change
on Nutrition Practice 5
______________________________________________
ECSC-SUN in Photos 6
______________________________________________
Ethiopia Civil Society Coalition for
Scaling up Nutrition (ECSC-SUN) as
a leading nutrition advocacy platform
convened nutrition learning forum in
December 2016. The forum, which
brought together several nutrition
actors, predominantly deliberated on
the need for coordinated efforts
among different partners to address
malnutrition in Ethiopia. ECSC-SUN
used the forum to share key
achievements and contributions it
has made for the last two and half
years. It has also pinpointed priority
focus areas for the next phase of the
program.
In his opening address, His Excel-
lency Dr. Kebede Worku, State
Minster of Health noted the rapid
economic growth Ethiopia has seen
over the last decade help change
the nutrition situation in the country.
Having mentioned the achievements
of the Government in the health and
nutrition front, Dr. Kebede said “the
government has designed and im-
plemented programs and strategies
that have served as basis for effec-
tively addressing the problems of
food and nutrition insecurity across
the country.” One of the strides
worth mentioning is the Food and
Nutrition Policy, which is currently on
consultation.
The State Minister appreciated
ECSC-SUN’s support to government
efforts in the fight against malnutri-
tion, and suggested the Coalition to
focus more on cross learning and
capacity building and also establish
a joint implementation and accounta-
bility mechanisms to transform its
ways of working to better contribute
to ending undernutrition in Ethiopia
by 2030.
Volume 2, Issue 1
ECSC-SUN Hosts Nutrition Learning Forum
Speaking on the occasion John Graham,
Country Director of Save the Children,
Ethiopia praised ECSC-SUN for building
and promoting civil society organizations
engagement in nutrition in Ethiopia and
also creating a platform to contribute to
relevant policies, legal, political and
social changes to scale up nutrition.
John noted CSOs engagement in the
ECSC-SUN activities within the frame-
work of the National Nutrition Program
and the global Scaling Up Nutrition
Movement is imperative.
Stating that the government of Ireland’s
support to ECSC-SUN is part of its
ongoing efforts and commitments to ad-
dress hunger and malnutrition in Ethio-
pia, Mr. Niall Tierney, Irish Aid Deputy
Head of Development, on his part
acknowledged Save the Children and
members of ECSC-SUN for their contri-
bution to the achievements registered
during the last two and half years of the
Irish Aid funded ECSC-SUN’s project.
“The Ethiopian Civil Society Coalition for
Scaling Up Nutrition brings together vital
learning and technical experience and its
purpose is to bring evidence and learn-
ing to policy from the measured improve-
ments in the lives of Ethiopia’s most
vulnerable citizens.” said Niall.
Active engagement of stakeholders in
the scaling up nutrition endeavors,
capacity building of civil societies,
ECSC-SUN leadership and governance,
as well as resource mobilization are
among the key strategic issues the
forum has partly addressed.
As part of the learning, good experiences
of Rwanda in the fight against malnutri-
tion was also shared by ECSC-SUN
delegates of the International Learning
exchange organized by the SUN Civil Soci-
ety Network.
In his closing remark, John Lundine, Deputy
Country Director of Save the Children
underlined the need to think better ways to
engage the existing ECSC-SUN members
well and move the Coalition forward as
stronger nutrition platform that can particu-
larly be focusing on sharing best practices
and research findings as evidences to help
scale up nutrition in Ethiopia. “There are
many opportunities for us to contribute to
the reduction of malnutrition and significant-
ly reduce its adverse impact. We need to be
creative on how we can engage all mem-
bers at all levels to achieve this,” John
emphasized.
A photo exhibition—‘Nutrition in Photos’,
which aimed at showcasing nutrition
interventions of ECSC-SUN members has
enlivened the learning event.
Newsletter
ECSC-SUN Nutrition Learning Forum, Dec 2016 From left to right: Kenaw G, Sosina M, Metasebia L. Birara M at Nutrition
Learning Forum
H.E Dr. Kebede Worku, State Minister of FMOH
January 2017

2. Page 2ECSC-SUN
Engage, Inspire, Invest
ECSC-SUN Won Innovation Plan Award in An International Learning Exchange
Three delegates of the Ethiopia Civil Society Coalition for
Scaling Up Nutrition (ECSC-SUN) represented from Care
Ethiopia, Alive & Thrive and Save the Children have
taken an active part in an international cross-learning
exchange in Rwanda and won Innovation Plan award.
The recently launched two years Scaling Up Nutrition
Civil Society Network (SUN CSN) learning exchange
program called Learning Route, offered this opportunity
for delegates of SUN Civil Society Alliances in 9 African
countries, including Ethiopia. The program aims to
strengthen the Alliances and regional platforms and
promote learning across countries on how to address
malnutrition.
The Learning Route provided SUN members of Allianc-
es’ with customized learning platforms to share good
practices and experiences to track results, obtain
practical hands-on tools to help scale up nutrition and
strengthen networking. The week long experience shar-
ing was an exciting nutrition learning journey with field
visits to districts, sharing out of case stories, interactive
presentations and discussions and more. “This person-to
-person knowledge sharing platform has been designed
with the belief that it can foster collaboration and sharing
of new ideas and solutions among countries and the
hope that it can be replicated.” Cecilia Ruberto, Chief
Coordinator for the Learning Route, said. Most important-
ly, the platform would contribute to the creation of
stronger, more aligned Civil Society Alliances with the
capacity to actively contribute to national and community
level.
The cross learning exchange was unique in that delegates
designed take-home Innovation Plans to adopt and adapt
best practices and innovative solutions to their respective
settings and enhance their organization’s performance in
scaling up nutrition. ECSC-SUN delegates have devised
their innovation plan titled ‘Nutrition Visibility and Aware-
ness through the Media’, the plan that intends to address
awareness gaps by channeling core nutrition messages to
the public and decision makers through the media. Making
child and maternal nutrition become media agenda and
creating linkages with the National Nutrition Program
implementing sectors is the hub of the plan. The plan
designed by a team of three has recently won the SUN
Civil Society Learning Route Programme ‘Innovation Plan
Award’. “Your plan has been evaluated as innovative,
effective, sustainable and with great potentiality to be
scaled up,” the official award letter says.
The Ethiopia delegates have also shared the current
nutrition landscape of the country, and key achievements
and strides made - including national programs and strate-
gies in place to tackle malnutrition across the country.
(More about LR visit: uncivilsocietynet.wixsite.com)
scholarship with a strong conviction that those who finish
their study will contribute to the country’s development in
the fields they study. The fellowships awarded will depend
on the calibre of the candidates nominated and the de-
mand for places from Ethiopia as well as from other eight
countries where Irish Aid offers this fellowship program.
It is known Irish Aid awarded ECSC-SUN to implement
‘Securing Commitments and Accountability for Nutrition
Results’ project. The project brings together international
and national civil societies to advocate for nutrition and
contribute to the malnutrition reduction efforts in Ethiopia.
Irish Aid supports the Ethiopia government in various
other development fronts as well.
Irish Aid is to Award ECSC-SUN Members Scholarship
SUN CSOs International Learning Exchange, Rwanda 30 Oct– 05 Nov2016 Participants of SUN CSOs International Learning Exchange, Rwanda
Irish Aid has recently launched the 2017-18 round of the
Fellowship Programme and is to grant a scholarship for
six candidates drawn from members of the Ethiopia Civil
Society Coalition for Scaling up Nutrition (ECSC-SUN).
Irish Aid as a key development partner to Ethiopia offers
this opportunity to Ethiopian nationals to pursue post-
graduate studies in Ireland, Kenya and Ethiopia. “On
behalf of Ethiopian Civil Society Coalition for Scaling up
Nutrition, Save the Children is advised to put forward a
maximum of six candidates”, says the letter sent. Save
the Children has circulated the invitation all across ECSC-
SUN members and compiled entitled nominees from
member organizations and shared. Irish Aid gives this

3. twitter.com/SUN_EthiopiaCSO
Page 3
Shaping ECSC-SUN’s Future
ECSC-SUN
ECSC-SUN has summoned a consul-
tative meeting to refine its priority
focus areas for the period 2017–
2020.
Having assessed the five strategic
objectives, which had been the main
focus of ECSC-SUN in the last couple
years, members have discussed and
identified key priorities of the
Coalition, among which is continuing
to provide supports needed to imple-
ment the second phase of the
National Nutrition Program at all
levels.
In a day long consultation, members
have also brainstormed the best
possible institutional arrangement to
lead the Coalition during the pro-
posed period and shared what they
thought would work well for the coali-
tion to sustain.
ECSC-SUN Leadership
Regarding who should chair the
Coalition during the new era of ECSC
-SUN members reflected on what
they said could work better for the
future of the Coalition. To this end
Who would possibly fund it for the year
2017 and beyond was one of the key
issues of discussion.
The following are some of the
proposed mechanisms to ensure
sustained financial sources for ECSC-
SUN.
 Mapping and approaching differ-
ent donors including Irish Aid,
Gates Foundation and Children
Investment Fund (CIF) as they are
keen to strengthen civil society
alliances
 Aligning technical and financial
resources of members to strength-
en the Coalition
 Having discussion with Global
SUN Movement
On the nutrition advocacy front the
team has discussed key objectives
which have already been pinpointed
in the Nutrition Advocacy Strategy,
developed with the participation of
ECSC-SUN members.
majority members suggested Save
the Children should continue to lead
ECSC-SUN for sometime and in the
future a leadership structure with lead
and co-lead organization could be in
place. “A shift of leadership might
have its own failure. it is better to
maintain the existing leadership and
team and better to make an arrange-
ment for a smooth transition,’’ Desta,
a representative of Alive and Thrive
noted. It was also noted the interest
of the donors should be taken into
account as decision made to move
the coalition from Save the Children.
It was agreed the transition of leader-
ship to be part of the current ECSC-
SUN follow on project proposal and
one of the priority issues to settle in
the future.
Resource Mobilization
ECSC- SUN had been supported by
Irish Aid for the last two and half
years period. Gates foundation also
granted related support for the advo-
cacy related tasks.
We said good bye to 2016, and welcomed 2017. We are just
a month away from ‘Last Year’, but we call it ‘last year’ this
fast.
2016 saw several nutrition events and activities globally and
locally – some grand and high level and some lesser one, but
obviously important; some global level and some national.
From the Copenhagen Women Deliver conference, where
against my expectation, nutrition was one of the key delibera-
tions to the recently hosted Micronutrients Global Conference
in Mexico; from the Transform Nutrition seminar in Ethiopia
to the Ethiopia Civil Society Coalition for Scaling up Nutrition
(ECSC-SUN) led nutrition learning forum, numerous nutrition
related happenings came to pass here and there, close and far.
All directed towards reducing malnutrition in its all forms.
As the year advanced to come to an end, during last three-two
months in particular, many of us got rushed off our feet as we
toiled to wrap up planned (nutrition) activities for the year, get
them done well and their budgets utilized efficiently. We
bustled around day in and day out to close projects that had to
be phased out, to have accomplishments monitored and lessons
documented. A lot more had been taking place. Amidst of all
these happened the Scaling up Nutrition Civil Society Network
(SUN CSN) International Learning exchange, an outstandingly
organized and impressively facilitated cross-learning event
hosted regionally in Rwanda.
Learning exchanges do happen everywhere so often and we
know some of them. The Learning Route organized by SUN
CSN was uniquely different for me in terms of its objectives,
plan of action, selection of experiences that were shared, sites
visited, innovation ideas generated, lessons learnt and of overall
organization.
The event brought together several delegates of SUN CSO
Alliances from 9 African countries with high malnutrition burden
in a platform where diverse but entirely nutrition focused
knowledge and experiences were shared. If the Learning Route
was a movie, I would call it ‘Nutrition Learning Adventure’.
When asked, this was how I summed up it. By adventure I mean–
crossing and passing by small and beautiful hills of Rwanda, we
travelled to the districts, flooded with the warmest welcome by the
community and got shared impressive experiences of grass-root
nutrition activities, community level efforts as well as high level
commitments and accountability of the Rwandan government to
tackle malnutrition. It was a journey full of take-home lessons.
2016 has gone. The lessons we have gained, the changes we have
witnessed, best practices and evidences we have (been) shared will
transcend adding more energy to move forward until we end
malnutrition. Memories of the events will still be very fresh and
have the capacity to make us energized and committed for more
positive changes we wish to see in what currently are high malnu-
trition burden countries. They will indeed make us aspire and
demand more in this New Year and years to come.
Finally, I would like to salute the host, facilitators, fellow partici-
pates of the LR and wish all a very fruitful, veg-ful, meat-ful,
milk-ful, crop-ful, soda-less-ful...2017.
[Author: Kenaw Gebreselassie, TN, ECSC-SUN, Save the Children ]
Nutrition Learning Adventure – 2016 Legacy

4. What is New Around Nutrition in
Ethiopia Recently?
ECSC-SUN in Action
As part of its efforts to support the National Nutrition
program of the Government of Ethiopia and thereby
boost its contribution to the reduction of malnutrition),
ECSC-SUN has played instrumental role in the develop-
ment of the multi-sectoral National Nutrition Program
2016-2020, which targets to reduce the prevalence of
child stunting to 26 percent by 2020. The document has
been finalized with layout and designing, proofreading
and translation works done with technical and financial
support of ECSC-SUN.
ECSC-SUN has also been providing both technical and
financial back up to the development of the National
Food and Nutrition Policy and strategy of the country,
which is under successive consultations.
ECSC-SUN has recently been represented in the Nutri-
tion Development Partners’ Forum, in the meeting of
National Nutrition Technical Committee. Most important-
ly, ECSC-SUN has been represented in the high level
meeting of the National Nutrition Coordinating Body and
NNPII signatory ceremony.
ECSC-SUN will continue to support the implementation of
the National Nutrition Program II. It will further its support
to the development of the National Food and Nutrition
Policy and other government nutrition initiatives.
 The First 1000 days campaign, which is led by FMOH
has been launched. Media awareness campaign
promoting key practices is already on the go.
 National Food and Nutrition Policy development is
under way. Successive consultation to enrich the policy
document is going on. It has progressed well and has
already been translated into Amharic to ease the next
stages of consultation. The policy gives due emphasis
to food and nutrition security; food safety and quality
and post-harvest management.
 National Nutrition Coordinating Body (NNCB), the high-
est governing body responsible for leadership, policy
decisions and coordination of the National Nutrition
Program (NNP), and National Nutrition Technical Com-
mittee (NNTC), which provides technical advice to
NNP Development and implementation convened their
meetings in the 1st and 2nd week of December 2016.
The NNCB meeting has particularly seen the approval
and signing ceremony of National Nutrition Program II
document and National Food and Nutrition Policy de-
velopment. All signatories of state ministers have
signed the program document. Representing ECSC-
SUN, Save the Children vigorously participated in both
gatherings.
Page 4ECSC-SUN
Review of National Nutrition Program Implementing Sectors’ Policy and Practice
In order for National Nutrition Program implementing sector ministries to see their plans, policies and practices in light of
nutrition sensitive interventions, ECSC-SUN reviewed their policies and initiated discussion. The review assessed
policies and practices with respect to nutrition sensitivity in four sector ministries: Ministry of Agriculture (currently
named Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resource Development); Ministry of Education, Ministry of Water, Irrigation
and Electricity (now called Ministry of Water, Irrigation and Electricity), and Ministry of Women, Children and Youth
Affairs (now called Ministry of Women and Children Affairs). This policy brief is intended as a tool to help create a
common understanding among these ministries on the strengths and gaps in their policies and practices related to
nutrition and to advocate for nutrition sensitivity in their daily course of action.
The four sector ministries covered by this review have
taken some important steps to contribute to better
nutrition outcomes in Ethiopia. Nevertheless, there are
important gaps/inadequacies in their efforts to ensure that
their activities are as nutrition sensitive as possible. First,
their current key documents (policies, strategies,
programs, etc.) are not sufficiently sensitive to nutrition.
The linkages between core activities and nutrition
outcomes are therefore inadequate. Moreover, the docu-
mentation does not include indicators to measure the
contributions of these sectors to nutrition outcomes.
Second, nutrition-sensitive interventions within these
ministries lack specific public budget lines for government
allocations and lack funding modalities for managing
resources from other sources. With the exception of the
Ministry of Agriculture, the sector ministries are depend-
ent on a focal person to coordinate the work of ensuring
nutrition sensitivity in their interventions. This
arrangement is less effective than establishing a Nutrition
Case Team, as the MoA has done, or some other
appropriate structure for nutrition with dedicated staff.
These sector ministries can improve the level of nutrition
sensitivity in their interventions by heeding the following
recommendations:
 Revise key documents (policies, strategies, programs,
etc.) to make them (more) nutrition sensitive.
 Develop nutrition indicators to track sector contribu-
tions to nutrition outcomes. For sectors whose core
activities coincide with nutrition-sensitive activities,
there is a need to link such activities with nutrition
outcomes.
 Allocate a specific budget for implementing nutrition-
sensitive interventions and devise further funding
modalities for them.
 Assign a dedicated nutrition staff to coordinate Nutri-
tion Sensitive Interventions (NSIs) and ensure that
nutrition sensitivity is woven into their key documents.
 Raise the awareness of key personnel on NSIs and
how to implement them.
 Allocate money to research and knowledge
management in order to generate evidence on the
contribution of different sectors to nutrition outcomes.
Engage, Inspire, Invest

5. Women Development Army – Arms for
Change on Nutrition Practice
Tsehaynesh Semu, (a mother of 5 children) and Adame
Zerihun (a mother of 2) are community-level volunteers, who
lead networks of the government-named ‘Women’s Develop-
ment Army’ at Fezel kebele, Bure woreda of West Gojam
zone. Assigned to support and lead 30 families each as per
the 1 to 5 government structured development network, they
work so closely with health extension workers and agriculture
development agents, and provide grass-roots support.
On the nutrition front, they support ongoing efforts to end
malnutrition at community and household level mainly through
providing appropriate infant care and feeding instruction, and
boosting the community’s knowledge and understanding on
breastfeeding, cooking nutritious diet and backyard gardening.
More importantly, they strive to create demand for the health
and nutrition services that Fezel kebele Health Post provides.
Tsehaynesh and Adame are well aware of the grass-root
health and nutrition services they can support at their level.
They know well all the villagers whom they keep an eye on. In
consultation with, Muluken Kassa, a health extension worker
at Fezele, they make regular rounds to check on mothers and
encourage good health and nutrition practices. They check on
practices such as food preparation, caring for new-born babies
and children under five, latrine building and setting up
separate kitchen.
Adame explained it well in her own words:
I have my own visit schedule and I know well the right
health and nutrition messages I should deliver to the
women I support day in and day out. I educate
pregnant and lactating mothers to eat more and
diversified food, and ensure that every newly born
child is exclusively breastfed for six months. I show
them how to cook well for their children after six
months as well. The change we are witnessing now
is very inspiring, thanks to Muluken, who is coaching
us and providing all what we need to help our fellow
mothers.
Both do have the req-
uisite knowledge and
understanding of good
nutrition and what it
means to their commu-
nity. And they are very
expressive as they
explain what they do in
the course of their
house-to-house visit.
As they themselves
are model mothers,
they serve as living
examples who become
change agents regard-
ing the change in behaviour and practice expected to happen
in the community, mainly changes around child caring and
feeding practices. The sense of ownership they have is very
inspirational.
Tsehainesh spoke of her roles as a leader of Women
Development Army:
Educating the community about health and
nutrition is my everyday task. I identify pregnant
mothers within a 1 to 5 networks and refer them
to the health post for pregnancy check-up,
nutrition counselling, and other health and
nutrition related services. I myself go house-to-
house and tell them about what they should do
for their babies in the first 1000 days, the period
covering from pregnancy to the child’s 2 years
birthday. For children above six months, I with
Muluken and other team leads of women
networks prepare local complementary food,
mainly flour composed of cereals and legumes.
The mothers of these children take the prepared
food in exchange with raw cereals and legumes,
they can provide. We also educate them about
the benefits of homestead gardening by using
the garden patch we have set up around our
health post.
Fezel Kebele demonstrates such an inspirational
community involvement and sense of ownership that
need to be replicated in other areas of the country. It
is imperative to capitalize on the experience and
excitements that is created within this community
and follow up on the progress to ensure malnutrition
is stamped out in other areas of the country as well.
The contribution of this local development team illus-
trates the community’s participation in the health and
nutrition services becomes crucial to the changes
needed at grassroots.
Muluken Kassa (Health Extension Worker at Fezel)
acknowledges that this promising participation of
women in nutrition activities has brought about
several changes in Fezel and other localities of West
Gojam zone. Birilew Mintesinot, who leads Bure
Woreda nutrition office, echoes similar enthusiasm
about the effectiveness of Women Development
Army’s involvement in nutrition awareness and
action.
ECSC-SUN Page 5
twitter.com/SUN_EthiopiaCSO
Adame (Left), Tsehaynesh (right) at Fezel Kebele Health Post Farmers’
Demonstration Garden.
Adame (left), Tsehaynesh (Right) at Fezel Kebele-
Health Post

6. Page 6ECSC-SUN
ECSC-SUN in Photos
ECSC-SUN
Ethiopia Civil Society Coalition for Scaling Up Nutrition (ECSC-SUN) is part of a global initiative of the
Scaling Up Nutrition movement that aims to increase public and relevant sectors awareness on nutrition
and ensure improved nutrition governance and raise the profile and political attention given to nutrition in
Ethiopia.
Established in June 2013, ECSC-SUN
Coordinates civil society in Ethiopia
Advocates for an increased focus on nutritional outcome in national policies and programmes
Works to ensure CSOs’ efforts to tackle malnutrition are aligned with national plans
Twitter: twitter.com/SUN_EthiopiaCSO
For information about the SUN movement:
scalingupnutrition.org
Contact:
Israel Hailu, Head of Nutrition,
Save the Children, Addis Ababa,
Email: Hailu. Israel@savethechildren.org
ECSC-SUN email: Ethiopia-ecsc@savethechildren.org
Tel: (+251) - 01137228045
Prepared by Kenaw Gebreselassie,
Communication and Research uptake manager (TN), Networking Coordinator (ECSC-SUN)
‘Nutrition in Photos’ - Photo Exhibition at ECSC-SUN Learning Forum
Selected photos of ECSC-SUN Members Exhibited (photos from A&T, ACF, CONCERN, CARE Ethiopia & SC-ENGINE Interventions)
Photos of ECSC-SUN hosted Trainings for CSOs & Media (Adama, Bahirdar, Mekelle, Jigjiga)
ECSC-SUN team visit to North Gondar, East and West Gojam zone for documentation of nutrition success stories