1-4 October 2013 – the National Nutrition Council- Calabarzon headed by RNPC Carina Z. Santiago conducted its first batch of Orientation on Mobilizing Community Support for Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) program at the Eurotel Hotel in Pedro Gil, Malate, Manila. A total of 30 Nutrition Action Officers (NAOs), Municipal Health Officers (MHOs), Nurses and Midwives from 16 municipalities and 1 city in Quezon province comprised the participants.
The 4-day course aims to orient the health and nutrition workers previously trained on IYCF counseling, as well as update them on some developments since the training of the IYCF counseling course, which includes the use of IYCF counseling cards and the Guide for mobilizing community support group.
Further, the said orientation intends to guide the participants in the creation of IYCF support groups in their respective localities and to establish functional peer groups and counselors who will help in the promotion of exclusive breastfeeding and complementary feeding to target mothers and caregivers.
The group also underwent a series of exercises and workshops during the course and did practical sessions in counseling mothers with children below two (2) years of age at Barangay 704 and 705 in the city of Manila The group practiced the use of the IYCF counseling cards on selected mothers which they recognize as a big help in encouraging and educating mothers on how they can properly feed their children.
Participants also presented their respective re-entry plans which include roll-out of the orientation to the different barangays, to eventually result to the organization of community support groups. RNPC Santiago mentioned that hopefully the model barangay to be selected will serve as a learning ground for other barangays in the IYCF support mobilization.
The next two (2) batches of trainings will be held in November 2013 for the remaining municipalities and city in the P3 Area- Quezon province.
