Community-based child nutrition care model benefits Thanh Hoa’s locality

The caregivers’ club in Coc village, Pu Luong commune, the north-central province of Thanh Hoa, has established a livelihood support fund, helping households develop their economies through models such as rice cultivation, vegetable growing, fish farming and poultry raising. (Photo: VNA)

Thanh Hoa (VNA) – A delegation from the Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Movement on April 15 – 16 visited and exchanged experience on implementing child nutrition care models in Pu Luong commune, the north-central province of Thanh Hoa. The activity forms part of a support programme by World Vision for community-based child care.

At the working session, alongside experience-sharing by representatives of the World Vision, the National Institute of Nutrition, the Thanh Hoa Centre for Disease Control, and local authorities, the delegation spent considerable time observing in practice the caregiver-club model in Pu Luong’s Coc village.

After more than one year of implementation with the support of World Vision, the model has delivered positive outcomes in improving nutrition and enhancing the quality of childcare. Household livelihoods have improved, mothers’ awareness and caregiving skills have been strengthened, and notably, the rate of child malnutrition in Coc has declined markedly.

The model primarily involves women in the community, who are equipped with knowledge on childcare, appropriate nutrition and feeding practices, while also receiving guidance on cultivation and livestock techniques to improve family meals.

Notably, the caregivers’ club has established a livelihood support fund, enabling families to develop income-generating activities such as vegetable growing, fish farming and poultry raising. These food sources not only increase household income but also provide locally sourced nutrition directly for children’s diets.

The delegation highly valued the model’s practicality and scalability, while also sharing international experience to refine community-based nutrition approaches.

The SUN Movement, launched in 2010 under the leadership of UNICEF, has attracted participation from 66 countries worldwide, with Vietnam joining in January 2014.

SUN Vietnam was established based on the Nutrition Cluster, co-led by the National Institute of Nutrition and UNICEF, with the participation of government agencies, social organisations, UN bodies, as well as domestic and international non-governmental organisations./.

VNA