MECIHO: Multisectoral Collaboration for Inclusive Health and Opportunities for Women

Project Overviews

MECIHO: Multisectoral Collaboration for Inclusive Health and Opportunities for Women

The Starbucks Foundation-funded MECIHO project (2021 – 2024) empowers women and improves the health, hygiene and living conditions of households and communities in Indonesia. Complementing the Indonesian government’s nutrition and stunting interventions, MECIHO responds to significant needs in coffee-growing communities in Karo Regency where one in four households lack clean water, sanitation challenges endanger public health and current systems of local governance regularly exclude women. The MECIHO project has two key objectives: 1) strengthened women’s leadership on and engagement in governance initiatives and 2) support for the advancement of healthier homes and better living conditions. As a result, community resources for improved WASH, such as garbage banks and latrines will be in place, and the local government will be more responsive, particularly to women’s needs, with the understanding that healthier environments enhance nutrition outcomes. MECIHO will directly benefit 8,183 people and empower 4,605 women to improve health, hygiene, and living conditions for themselves and their families.

The MECIHO project is the expansion of The Starbucks Foundation-funded Kopi Nande: Women-Led Community Health and Hygiene project, which ended in 2021. MECIHO is implemented following best practices from the earlier project that contributed to Kopi Nande’s success. Women champions from Kopi Nande are now supporting MECIHO by acting as mentors to women in these new coffee-growing communities.

Download Now Mar 03, 2023