Capacity building for nutrition education

Nutrition Education in Namibia

Title: Training Youth for Sustainable Livelihoods in Rural Namibia

Country: Namibia

Duration: 2001 - 2003

 

Responsible Ministries/institutions/partnerships, including UN: Ministry of Higher Education, Training and Employment Creation

 

Project Summary (nutrition component):

The nutrition component of the project aims at developing a Handbook on Food and Nutrition which will enable rural youth leaders and extension technicians to help other people in their villages to understand the importance of nutrition and of selecting foods which are best for health. The Handbook, including a nutrition board game, promotes experiential learning (practical, hands-on), and the development of  both, project and life skills (competency, coping, contributing).

 

Critical problem identified and addressed by the project:

  • Rural unemployment amongst young people, their lack of education, the rapid out-migration into cities and the ensueing severe social, economic, political and environmental problems are recognized by the Government of Namibia (GON) and high priority is assigned to seeking effective solutions, but capacities of the Ministry of Youth and Sport (MYS) are limited (funds, skilled personnel). 
  • The project aims to tackle these issues through an innovative outreach component to the larger rural youth development programmes, using trained volunteer youth leaders as leader-trainers to reach large numbers of village youth with education and training in agriculture, nutrition, HIV/AIDS, small enterprise development and related areas.

Project Outcomes

Main beneficiaries:

  • Youth group leaders;
  • Members of youth groups in Namibia

 Main project participants/institutions involved:

  • Ministry of Higher Education, Training and Employment Creation;
  • Children in rural youth clubs

 Main activities completed:

  • Development and testing of leader guide on home gardening, food and nutrition, HIV/AIDS, and small enterprise development
  • National seminars for awareness raising of the critical role rural young people can play in agriculture, rural development and food security amongst high-level government decision makers and representatives of donors groups, NGOs, international assistance agencies and rural finance institutions
  • Created Food & Nutrition: A Handbook for Namibian Volunteer Leaders 
  • Training of youth group leaders in (among others) nutrition, health, and working with youth groups

 

Main outputs:
  • Prototype leader guides on food and nutrition developed and tested in the field with village-level volunteer leaders and groups of rural youth.
  • As a test of the newly developed training and educational materials, about 800 boys/girls and young men/women, between the ages of 15 and 30, have been involved in income-generating and learning activities related to agriculture, group organization, and leadership development.
  • Through 2 national seminars, high-level government decision makers and representatives of donors groups, NGOs, international assistance agencies and rural finance institutions have become aware of the critical role rural young people can play in agriculture, rural development and food security.
  • 1 book, including game board Food & Nutrition: A Handbook for Namibian Volunteer Leaders
  • 40 youth group leaders trained in (among others) nutrition, health, and working with youth groups.

last updated:  Tuesday, December 18, 2012