Our MODEL
A LIFE-CHANGING IMPACT, WITH A SIMPLE APPROACH
Malnutrition (both over- and under-nutrition) and foodborne/sanitation-related disease are some of the top problems facing Haiti. These same problems are being addressed by organizations large and small with copious funds being poured into the island.
But what if we worked at the root of the problem?
As we look to aid and development in the developing world, preventative health care is an essential piece of this puzzle. Benjamin Franklin famously said, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” and there is not a more fitting explanation for nutrition education.
In response to the lack of access to nutrition knowledge in Haiti, a need for nutrition training for medical professionals became obvious. These intelligent and motivated health workers deserve to have all the appropriate tools to help their communities holistically. There is also a need for professional development to equip culinary professionals to train other cooks in healthy food preparation and safety standards. This desire to have life-giving training to both of these groups has been communicated to us over and over, and so we answered.
In December 2017, we held a 2 week intensive training in Port-au-Prince for 8 nurses who have interviewed for the program from different regions of Haiti. Their training included detailed nutrient knowledge, bioavailability, nutrition through the life cycle, disease prevention through nutrition, teaching methods for groups of varying educational backgrounds, as well as proper Internet research techniques.
These nurses returned to their sending organizations equipped as Nutrition Advocates for their clinics and communities. They will be able to assist in holistic patient care, counseling them on specific diets, and also holding monthly seminars for community groups.
We have started a Train-the-Trainer program for community health workers that many of the Nutrition Advocates attended. We will hold two more “Fomè Fomate” trainings before the Nutrition Advocates are able to facilitate them on their own. Currently the Nutrition Advocates are educating their communities on how to use food to prevent and treat disease.
Knowledge is power- BNPS exists to put that power into the hands of those needing it most.
