Combatting Anemia as a Community
What’s next?
When Sisters Project Peru returns to Huacahuasi this August 2025, we plan to continue collaborating with community members to plant iron-rich crops in the two community greenhouses, which were completed in February 2025. Read more about our Greenhouse Project HERE. We also intend to hold another anemia education workshop.
Overview
SPP launched the Anemia Project in response to requests from members of the Huacahuasi community to gain a better understanding of the prevalence of anemia in their community. Community members had the option to receive a voluntary finger prick to test their iron levels and were also provided with information about local, iron-rich dietary options. Sisters Project Peru also provided “Iron Fish”, a cooking tool which community members can use regularly to boost their iron consumption.
Purpose behind the project
The goal of SPP’s Anemia Project was to sustainably and collaboratively address the voiced needs of the community regarding anemia, a disease that affects an important segment of the population of Huacahuasi. Prior research and surveying conducted by SPP highlights a high prevalence of anemia in the Huacahuasi community, with 31.8% indicating that their children or a member of their household has anemia. Access to iron-rich foods and those that aid iron absorption in Huacahuasi is limited, representing a real limitation to consumption of a more iron-rich diet, even with education on diet interventions. With this in mind, SPP provided community members with an “Iron Fish,” a cooking tool which infuses food with iron, in addition to a pamphlet with information in Spanish on anemia symptoms, causes, and local iron-rich foods. This multi-pronged approach sought to provide community members with information on their own health, enhance their understanding of local iron-rich diet options, and create a more realistic and immediate way to boost their iron levels even when dietary approaches are more limited.