Pre-Nutrition Week Training for SED (Social and Economic Development), Social Affairs, and In Charge at HC (Health Center) for CHWS (Community Health Workers)

Training in the weeks leading up to Nutrition Weeks

1) Pre-Nutrition Week Training with the following MOH and Civil leaders: Social and Economic Development, Social Affairs, and In Charge of Community Health Workers at the Health Centers. 

These will be the primary teachers  for the Village Nutrition Committee. They are taught the daily activities; primary objectives; and simulations of the training sessions. 

Each teacher is given the opportunity to teach a lesson during the training and then given feedback to ensure they are effectively teaching the lessons. 

Nutrition Weeks have 7 primary objectives:

1. The importance of cooking porridge thicker, and feeding young children thicker (more calorie-dense) porridge.
2. The need to eat high-fat content and animal-source foods (eggs, organ meats, etc.). 
3. To increase the number of meals per day. 
4. Increase variety of foods given at each meal and each day. 
5. Infants must be mentally stimulated for development. 
6. Hand washing before meals for mothers and children is important to reduce diarrhea.
7. Pregnant women need an extra meal and rest. 

In addition to teaching the lessons during Nutrition Weeks, they are encouraged to take ownership of Nutrition Weeks. This is more than a World Relief project. Rather this is a community activity to help the community members better themselves. It is important that the teachers take ownership of the project and ask the community to take ownership. For PD/Hearth effectiveness this is an important concept. If the community does not take ownership the likelihood of behavior change after the completion of the Nutrition Week decreases. 

Highlights of Pre-Nutrition Week Training: 

An ICSP Staff teaches about presenting the program.
During this lesson the participants are learning how to stand; present themselves; answer questions;
and other information about present the daily lessons.  

One of the participants in the training is practicing teaching the importance of thicker porridge and infant feedings. 

Here are the notes given to the training participants: lyrics to the Nutrition Week song; a timetable to Nutrition Week; and the primary objectives. 

Here begins the lessons on the cooking demonstrations that are a vital component to Nutrition Week.
Nutrition Week is more than teaching lessons: it is important that the community members also learn the ways to cook and implement the lessons they are taught. 

During the cooking demonstrations the community learns how to make thicker porridge
as well as what ingredients should be included to eat a balanced meal. 

Practicing teaching a cooking demonstration. 

ICSP staff are available to answer any questions participants may think of
to ensure they do not have questions they cannot answer during Nutrition Weeks.