The City Nutrition Committee has strengthened its effort to improve the nutrition situation of families particularly for the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) victims of the 2013 Zamboanga Siege who have now been transferred to transitory sites. One of the efforts put in place is the training of the Barangay Nutrition Committees in the eight host barangays where the eleven transitory sites are located to ensure that the nutrition services needed by these people are considered in the Barangay Nutrition Action Plan.
The Action Contre La Faim (ACF International or Action Against Hunger) a global humanitarian organization committed to ending world hunger, and which has worked with the city from the early stage of the emergency had seen the need to support the communities in building the capacity of the Barangay Nutrition Committees(BNC) to manage an efficient and effective nutrition program that will be inclusive of the needs of the permanent barangay residents and the IDPs as well.
Thus, on August 18 – 20, a three day training and planning workshop was held for the BNCs of the eight host barangays namely Baliwasan, Calarian, Kasanyangan, Mampang,Mariki,Rio Hondo,Taluksangay and Tulungatong at the Grand Astoria Hotel, Zamboanga City . The training was funded by theUNICEF (United Children’s Fund) through the ACF as part of their good governance program to which the ACF has deployed a unit that will closely work with the communities on nutrition program management.
The delegates of the eight barangays who attended the activity were composed of the Punong Barangay, Kagawad on Health & Nutrition, Camp Managers,Parent Leaders, BNS, BHW, and other Health Workers. The modular NPM Training Course developed by the UPLB for the National Nutrition Council was used in the training and planning workshop. The participants who served as the planning core group of the BNC were oriented on the basic concepts of nutrition, priorities of the Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition, the Nutrition Program Management Cycle, formulation of the BNAP among others. A draft Barangay Nutrition Action Plan was formulated by the respective BNC planning core groups as proof of their completion of the three day training that was done in coordination with the City Nutrition Committee and in consultation with the National Nutrition Council Regional Office to ensure that it is within the standards set by the NNC.
Follow through activities by the ACF have been scheduled to provide continued technical assistance to the BNC to be truly functional and effectively manage their nutrition program.
