Monique Sognigbe is a food security and nutrition expert serving as a Nutrition-Sensitive and Livelihood Programme Officer. She leads the Triple Action for Food Security and Nutrition program, which integrates nutrition education, participatory cooking demonstrations, and the cultivation of fast-growing vegetables and fruit trees to help the poorest women improve household diets, increase incomes, and strengthen long-term health outcomes. Monique’s motivation is grounded in her work across rural Benin, where more than 25% of households remain food insecure. She has observed how low dietary diversity, limited nutritional knowledge, and persistent poverty leave women and children especially vulnerable to malnutrition. Determined to break this cycle, she equips women with practical knowledge and sustainable food production skills that transform nutrition and wellbeing within their communities.

In the first year of the Accelerator Fund, Monique’s program empowered 145 women, who experienced improvements in their knowledge and practices related to child feeding, nutrition, and household care. Thirty women gained practical skills in profitable vegetable production, strengthening their ability to generate income and provide nutrient-rich foods for their families. The program also supplied 14 fruit and vegetable seedlings to a local school and church, expanding community access to fresh produce and encouraging healthier eating habits. Overall, the program positively impacted at least 302 children under five and all 151 participating women, while nutrition messages reached an estimated 700 people through community sensitization activities and household engagement.