Ally Wambra – Healthy Child
When we speak about nutritional deficiencies and illnesses such as anemia in children, we only think about how they are physically debilitating. But these conditions affect not only children’s physical development but also their capacity to effectively develop cognitive and motor skills that are key for their ability to function in the future. Ally Wambra is an intervention in the district of Carabayllo, Peru that aims to educate caregivers about best practices in nutrition in order to reduce the high levels of anemia in children under 2 years of age. It is an innovative initiative because it focuses on interactions between caregivers and children by using educational videos and home visits, and because it responds to a need of the community and actively involves that community in the design of materials.
Problematic
In Peru, nearly half of children under 3 years of age have anemia, including even more alarming numbers among children 6 to 18 months old. In the district of Carabayllo, for example, 54.4 percent of children under 2 years age who suffer from anemia are between 6 and 18 months old. The consequences of anemia on children’s cognitive and psycho-motor development are irreversible and, in the long term, affect their performance in school. One of the main reasons for the prevalence of anemia in children is the lack of adequate nutrition. Their caregivers, mothers, and fathers play a fundamental role in ensuring that the children get the nutrients they need. However, caregivers usually do not have information about the serious consequences of poor nutrition, or about what constitutes adequate nutrition and the practices that can strengthen it.
Solution
This project aims to reduce anemia in children under 2 years of age, with a focus on responsive nutrition. The project makes use of educational videos and home visits. Community workers verify in person that children with anemia receive supplements, and they conduct educational sessions on nutritional practices for mothers, fathers, and caregivers. The main objective of the intervention is to strengthen the interactions between caregivers and children, enabling them to sustain appropriate nutritional behaviors in the future. The sessions consist of six videos that show activities and examples of responsive nutrition and teach caregivers to recognize the symptoms of hunger and satiety in children. The videos urge caregivers to talk with their children and explore nutrition together. In this way the program transforms nutrition into an integral activity for children’s emotional and physical health.
Evaluation and Impact
No information available.