Over three days in August 2013, a group of 27 Peace Corps Volunteers (PCVs), Regional Nutrition Coordinators, and Peace Corps (PC) country office staff gathered at the Paradise Hotel in Banjul, The Gambia for training in essential nutrition actions and essential hygiene actions (ENA-EHA). This meeting was organized by the West Africa Food Security Partnership and the SPRING Project in collaboration with Peace Corps/Gambia.
The purpose of this training of trainers (TOT) was to instruct PCVs in key infant and young child feeding practices and messages, the importance of micronutrients and women’s nutrition, and in crucial negotiation and interpersonal communication skills. The knowledge and skills will enable the PCVs to optimally integrate high impact nutrition interventions into their daily activities.
The training schedule included the thematic areas of breastfeeding, complementary feeding and feeding of sick children, women’s nutrition, ENA-EHA, and negotiation skills. After completing the training in Banjul, the PCVs worked with their counterparts and regional nutrition supervisors to cascade the training and integrate nutrition activities in to school and agriculture activities.
The feedback from participants after the training was very positive; many expressed their appreciation for how easily the ENA-EHAs can be integrated into their activities to help avert the problem of malnutrition in their communities.