More than 100 technicians trained in Nutrition Education in Manica, Sofala and Zambezia provinces
More than 100 technicians from Community Based Organizations (CBOs) have been trained in nutrition education by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) in partnership with the NGO ANSA (Nutrition Association and Food Security), under the Home Gardens and Nutrition Education of the FAO sub-programme MDG1c in the provinces of Manica, Sofala and Zambezia.
The training, held from 29th August to 19th September, involved facilitators of the CBOs, district technicians from agriculture, health and education sectors.
FAO has been promoting through these trainings a multi-sectoral approach to reduce chronic malnutrition in Mozambique in order to the political and governmental structures.
Based on the "Package for Nutrition Education and Promotion for Change Behavior at the Community Level" and the FAO´s support Manual for producers of home gardens, the training aimed to increase the knowledge, not only about nutrition, but also on malnutrition chronic food and nutrition security as well as Home Gardens component for Change Behavior.
Hereafter, the trainees must work directly with communities through approach "Care Mothers" in order to share the knowledge obtained about nutrition education in their own districts.
About 400 mothers are expected to be trained. They are supposed to share with other 4000 mothers beneficiaries, among pregnant women and mothers of children from 0-5 years, per district.
It is expected that the total number of beneficiaries achieves 28 000 mothers in the 7 districts covered.
According to the FAO´s adviser on Food Security and Nutrition, Ruth Butao Ayoade, "this is an effective strategy to prevent malnutrition in both, the short and long term, protecting human capital and contributing to the economic development of the districts".
Ayoade also said that "the Care Mothers Group will work directly with the beneficiary mothers to promote change behavior and good practices to improve good health and nutrition.
The same mothers should receive support in agricultural inputs to produce fruit of high nutritional value, vegetables and small animals.
Jone Chamboco, facilitator from Matica, Sussendenga district, said that during the training he learned how to make a balanced diet from home gardens.
"When I make a home garden I reduce costs because I get food from my own garden. I will share this information to the care mothers of my locality which may also share to other beneficiary mothers, pregnant women and mothers of children from 0- 5 years "he said.
This component aims, among others, to improve knowledge and to promote the adoption of best practices to improve the health and nutrition of women and children at the communities.