Tjitjiku Mai - Food for kids

Tjitjiku Mai: Food for Kids is a health promotion app on healthy first foods for babies, created by Anangu women and the NPY Women’s Council Child Nutrition Program. Created in Pitjantjatjara, Ngaanyatjarra and English, this user-friendly app empowers mothers with culturally aligned and relevant health promotion resources on infant nutrition and how to introduce babies to food. A primary feature of the app is a food database featuring both bush foods and foods available in community stores. It is organised in categories which align with traditional child rearing practice so that a child is seen to be at a particular developmental stage rather than an age in months or years, ranging from an infancy to a walking. The user can then select the category they would like to learn more about eg “mara-mara” crawling which takes them to a food list offering visual suggestions on how to safely prepare and offer particular foods. We have worked alongside families to film videos of infants eating different foods to further encourage and empower others with fears and concerns around introducing solids. The next feature of the app is an interactive recipe library with step-by-step videos made by Anangu women in a cooking show style. The app also features a resource library of health promotion videos, songs, meditations and archival films. Foods in the database that are included in these dishes are also linked to the recipes for ease of user engagement and accessibility. The app also features a resource library including informative health promotion videos, songs, meditations, archived digitised NPYWC videos and resources, written resources and engaging fun videos. Resources in video format are also included in an engaging “reel” section. As a comprehensive and considered resource, this app aims to revolutionise accessibility to culturally relevant, aligned and informed health promotion resources, ultimately contributing to improved health outcomes for Anangu families.