Educate 357 Moms About Health & Nutrition in Haiti

The Care Group Strategy is a community-based approach to health where communities are challenged to become aware of their problems and become real actors in health behavior change. Several groups of mother leaders have been created. Mothers have volunteered to be trained on nutrition and have committed to replicate this training in the various localities in the commune Carrefour. 

Feed the Children has continued to train mother leaders and neighbor women in Infant and Young Child Feeding Practicies (IYCF) as well as supervise visits to strengthen the work of the nutrition education promoters and mother leaders.  Feed the Children also made recommendations to mothers based on the needs of their children to ensure they continue to grow and development adaquately.  

During this reporting period, Feed the Children continued conducting cooking demonstrations to illustrate the practice the concepts learned in the group meetings.  Mother leaders, neighbor women, and members of the community at large shared their appreciation and enjoyment of the activity.

Feed the Children conducted evaluations in the locations in order to determine strengths and weaknesses of the neighbor women which lead to a beautiful graduation ceremony!  

The Care Group (CG) strategy is a community-based approach to health that empowers members to become more aware of their challenges and be active participants in health behavior change. Feed the Children (FEED) organizes volunteer mothers into CGs and these mothers become leaders, known as Care Group Volunteers (CGVs). They are trained on health and nutrition practices and make a commitment to replicate and share their new knowledge, skills, and practices with other mothers in their communities. 

FEED has continued to host training sessions for CGVs on Infant and Young Child Feeding Practices and cooking demonstrations for both CGVs and community members.  Supervision visits continued in order to strengthen the work of the promoters and mother leaders.  Recommendations were also made during the supervision visits.   

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, FEED distributed 80 face masks to ensure proper protection for volunteers, mothers, and the community at large.   Additionally, FEED transitioned some of outreach work to a virtual platform utilizing SMS text messaging via cell phones to share critical information regarding the pandemic around the world.   

During the reporting period the CG taught two lessons to CGs and 34 mother leaders received the lessons from the promoters.  These lessons reached 302 neighbor women.  Three mothers gave birth during the reporting period and there are an additional 60 women who are currently pregnant.