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Valid International specialises in research and development in the humanitarian arena and developed the Community-based Therapeutic Care (CTC) model for the treatment of malnutrition. This model is dependent on ready-to-use foods (RUFs). The major limiting factor in the roll out of CTC, was access to affordable, high quality RUFs. To overcome this limiting factor, the directors of Valid International founded Valid Nutrition (VN) to produce RUFs.
Irish Aid, the Irish Government's office for the provision of development assistance, have generously funded Valid Nutrition over a three year period for research and development of new lower cost RUF recipes.
Gorta, an Irish NGO focussing on empowering communities in Sub-Saharan Africa to eradicate hunger, has funded a major investment in the capacity expansion of Valid Nutrition’s local factory in Malawi.
Valid Nutrition are very grateful for the excellent and continuing support from Advocates for International Development (A4ID), who have sourced pro bono legal advice on a range of projects including trademarks, patents, the transfer to Ireland, and various collaboration projects.
The Charity Bank is the UK's only regulated bank that is also a registered general charity. It uses 100% of its depositors’ savings to provide financial support and advice to charities, voluntary organisations and social enterprises, in order to maximise their impact. The Charity Bank has provided Valid Nutrition with a five year loan to support our manufacturing plant in Malawi.
Concern Worldwide partnered with Valid International to develop the CTC model and has since supported Valid Nutrition.
International organisations and donors such as UNICEF, MSF and USAID are increasingly becoming major RUF customers; UNICEF and MSF also play an important role in the inspection and certification of new manufacturing facilities.
An extensive range of NGO’s, Universities (e.g. University College Cork, Institute of Child Health, University College London and ETH Zurich), research institutions and commercial partnerships collaborate with Valid Nutrition on the research, development and field testing of new products. These relationships provide Valid Nutrition with access to a wide range of international experts.
The main NGOs and many other smaller NGOs are now customers of Valid Nutrition, purchasing RUF to meet the needs of their nutrition programmes. Valid Nutrition have gratefully received a number of donations and grants from a variety of trusts, individuals and government agencies, which have helped to fund central costs and support VN's overall mission in the start up phase.
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