The Hunger Project-Senegal made great strides in expanding training and educational services in 2014. Training workshops gave epicenter leaders new, specialized skills in finance and management, as well as the tools and resources to improve their health and nutrition. The Hunger Project-Senegal has also increased enrollment in preschool through a new school gardening program in the Ndereppe and Dinguiraye Epicenters.
Community Mobilization
The Hunger Project-Senegal organized several instructional meetings to improve the financial skills of its epicenter leaders. The team coordinated trainings in financial literacy, savings management, loans, effective management and financial negotiation for the leaders of the Ndereppe and Sanar rural banks.
Skills workshops were also offered for the entire community. The Hunger Project-Senegal organized three workshops in hairdressing, shoe-making and tie-dying to train and empower community members to increase their income-generating capabilities. Twenty-nine women from five epicenters participated in the various workshops, acquiring skills that will enable them to improve their respective businesses. The Hunger Project-Senegal furthered its commitment to invest in community members’ income-generating capacities by giving women seed money to start their own activities and purchase necessary equipment.
Education
The Hunger Project-Senegal introduced preschoolers in Ndereppe and Dinguiraye Epicenters to vegetable gardening, where children learned about plants and cultivation techniques to maintain their own garden. A share of the produce from the garden was given to the preschoolers while the remaining produce was sold to the community. This program enhanced parent interest in preschool and increased the number of pupils enrolled in the preschools from 62 children in 2013 to 92 children in 2014.
Health and Nutrition
The Hunger Project-Senegal coordinated trainings to expand the impact of awareness activities in health and nutrition. The attendees reaffirmed their strong commitment to improving their communication skills, especially in the areas of nutrition (by promoting the seven Essential Nutrition Actions), malaria prevention (through the use of insecticide-treated mosquito nets), and HIV/AIDS prevention (through screening tests to learn one’s HIV status).
Additionally, specialists in several epicenters were invited to organize cooking demonstrations for the community members and health extension workers. Five cereal-based local dishes were prepared for children ages 6 to 24 months. The culinary presentations taught women the nutritional value of local cereals, as well as methods for preparing rich, varied and balanced diets at affordable costs.
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