24 Month Development Project Part Two: Months 13 - 24
Food Security and Child Health
You have facilitated a participatory needs assessment or have received a grant award and the challenges you need to solve are:
1. An annual shortage of food for the four months preceding the October corn harvest.
2. The chronic ill health of their children complicated by diarrhea and under-nutrition.
In this second year of the project, several of the following interventions gleaned from Project Examples are slower to bring results, more difficult for beneficiaries to understand and adopt, and more expensive than year 1 activities, yet provide sustainable poverty reduction.
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January. Form a Community Water Development Planning Committee to participate in analyzing the water needs of the community, to identify potential sources of water - as well as how a water system could be funded. The committee will also develop a long-term, sustainable management plan. |
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February. Kitchen Gardens 2.1: Seedlings. In year one, we planted seeds directly into the garden bed. In preparation for an expanded year 2 garden, we will plant some seed in containers and transfer them to the garden bed after 3 months. This allow us to expand the variety and health of fruits & vegetables. |
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March. Kitchen Gardens 2.2: Soil. Soil is a living, breathing organism of sand, clay, organic matter, earthworms, nutrients, minerals, water and plant roots. It can suffer from being to acid, too wet, too dry and too sandy. This workshop will detail the importance soil handling and of introducing compost and manure. |
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April. Total Sanitation Planning. In the countryside there are many routes for spreading disease. Common development wisdom advocates family higiene first: low-cost and immediate. Sanitation takes planning, resources and total committment of the community. This workshop initiates that process. |
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May. School Latrine Program. Children can be tremendous agents of change for their families and schools can provide sound reinforcement for positive behavioral change. A parallel school sanitation program can improve children's health and reinforce your family health project. |
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June. Kitchen Gardens 2.3: Pests. Pests can contribute to the early death of plants, and can ruin individual fruits or vegetables. Surrounding tempting producers like tomatoes with garlic, or mixing different kinds of crops together in the same bed can mislead insects about location. |
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July. Nutrition, Meal Planning & Cooking 2. Children need more than grain for growth and vitality. They also need fats, calories, proteins, vitamins and micronutrients. Particpants learn how to plan and prepare balanced meals that are appetizing, healthy and utilize produce from their new gardens. |
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August. Village Latrine Program. Culturally speaking, latrines represent complex projects. Northern donor and NGO expectations may be vastly different than local custom. In order to be adopted by community members, latrine projects need to be designed carefully, and with people and their culture in mind. |
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September. Home Health & Hygiene. As the family becomes healthier through kitchen hygiene, hand washing and sanitation, other health and hygiene areas will need to be investigated. These will include keeping house and yard clear of trash and clutter, loose animals, and solid waste. |
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October. Kitchen Gardens 2.4: Lessons Learned & Planning for Year 2. After first season successes it is time to expand your garden in preparation for year 2. This involves space planning and the election of new plants to try. Did you track successes, challenges, yield and family favorites in the first season? |
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November. Workshop on Community Water Project. By now, the Community Water Planning Committee will have analyzed the water needs, identified potential sources, and how to fund & manage it. This is the opportunity for the community to hear the findings and provide feedback. |
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December. 12 Month Review. Good development includes follow up on new individual activities for up to one year. This twelve month review will be an opportunity for participants to ask questions and share lessons learned. It is also a chance to get an overview of year three's program. |
24 Month Development Project Part One: Months 1 - 12