Social Impact Project for Join Us in Tackling Malnutrition: Localizing Therapeutic Foods (RUTF/RUSF) Production in Somalia

How This Works

As part of the TRANSFORM Support Hub, you will learn how to advance your career while getting hands on experience on projects like this one.

Project Description and Impact

Malnutrition is a pressing challenge in Somalia, affecting millions of children and families. With persistently high rates of acute and chronic malnutrition, the need for affordable, locally produced therapeutic and supplementary foods is more critical than ever. Somalia currently relies heavily on imported Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Foods (RUTF) and Ready-to-Use Supplementary Foods (RUSF), which are essential for treating severe and moderate acute malnutrition. However, these imports are expensive, logistically challenging, and do not foster local economic empowerment.

At Life Saving Foods, we believe in tackling malnutrition at its root by localizing the production of RUTF and RUSF, ensuring these vital foods are accessible, cost-effective, and tailored to local needs. By producing these foods in Somalia, we aim to:

Reduce reliance on costly imports.
Create jobs and build local capacity.
Strengthen the local food production ecosystem.

In addition to RUTF and RUSF, we have successfully developed fortified instant noodles to address micronutrient deficiencies and are working on fortified maize flour as another affordable and scalable nutrition solution. These efforts align with our vision to create sustainable, community-driven solutions to malnutrition.

Why We Need Support

Despite our commitment and progress, localizing RUTF/RUSF production and scaling our fortified products come with significant challenges:

Technical Expertise: Producing high-quality RUTF/RUSF that meets international standards requires specialized knowledge in food formulation, fortification, and production processes.
Capital and Funding: Setting up production facilities, securing raw materials, and ensuring distribution require substantial financial resources. We need support to design a robust business case and attract capital from investors, donors, and development partners.
Strategic Guidance: As a growing organization, we need mentorship and advisory support to develop a clear roadmap for scaling production, building partnerships, and ensuring long-term sustainability.

Expertise and mentorship can help us overcome these challenges and build a locally driven solution to malnutrition that is scalable, impactful, and sustainable. We can transform Somalia’s nutrition landscape and save lives through innovative, community-focused solutions.

Learning Opportunity

Tackle Global Health Challenges: Address malnutrition and food insecurity by designing innovative, life-saving solutions in a high-impact setting.
Apply Expertise in Emerging Markets: Gain hands-on experience localizing food production in Somalia, navigating complex supply chains, regulatory frameworks, and infrastructure challenges.
Collaborate with a Mission-Driven Team: Work with a dynamic team dedicated to transforming nutrition outcomes through sustainable, community-focused solutions.
Expand Your Professional Profile: Build connections with NGOs, investors, and government partners while enhancing your portfolio with measurable impact in scaling a social enterprise.
Drive Tangible Impact: Contribute to creating local jobs, building capacity, and reducing reliance on imports, empowering communities to tackle malnutrition sustainably.
Shape an Innovative Venture: Play a pivotal role in a transformative project that blends public health, business strategy, and social entrepreneurship.