Women Nutrition Ambassadors

The Femmes Ambassadrices de Nutrition (FAN)

We developed the ambassador system to embed our various projects and activities on healthy nutrition in the local villages. In these villages, we look for women motivated to take on the role of nutrition ambassador or Femme Ambassadrice de Nutrition (FAN).

Objective

With the FAN project, we want to strengthen the knowledge and skills of local communities so that they become more resilient and more potent in their fight against malnutrition.

Project

By 2024, we will have trained more than 400 women as Femmes Ambassadrices de Nutrition.

Description

In each village, we work with several FANs, each managing a group of about 20 women.
FANs are first trained by our nutritionist and receive regular refresher training. Topics covered during this training include nutrition for infants and young children, nutrition for pregnant women, nutrition for breastfeeding women, food hygiene and safety, screening for acute malnutrition and treatment of moderate acute malnutrition.

To realize the various trainings and courses, we work intensively with the health zone management team, state health workers and nutrition points in town halls.

Results or development

By mid-2023, we have already trained 220 FANs in various villages.
The positive effects are already being felt. When we screen children between 6 and 59 months, we identify fewer and fewer new cases of severe malnutrition.

Requirements

We need support materials to conduct training and continuing education sessions in a high-quality manner. These include bracelets to measure the brachial circumference and educational posters that vividly present the topics covered.