The Save Children Healthy Mothers (SCHM) Project aims to reduce stunting among children ages 0-5years, reduce family violence and promote healthy practices in the communities. In addition to the establishment of Mothers Support Groups in the communities to promote maternal infant and young child practices, the implementation of nutrition-sensitive projects by the Community Development Committees (CDC) was another way the SCHM used to promote healthy practices in the communities.
The CDCs are made up of village councillors, women, and youth representatives. The CDCs were taken through the Community Action Planning (CAP) process to improve their knowledge on appropriate nutrition practices, identify health & nutrition issues as well as solutions and finally prioritize, plan, and implement one project. In agreement with the CDCs, SCHM provided a portion of the start-up resources/materials while the CDCs and community members took care of the remaining cost of the project.
In Sarkim Community in Wosera Gawi, East Sepik the CDCs conducted a community sensitization on nutrition learnings from the training and agreed to construct a Haus Marasin for Iron supplementation of pregnant women and minor treatment of childhood illness like fever, respiratory infections; the community leaders liaise with the District Health Team for medicines supplies.
Other communities implemented projects that Save the Children are also working closely with communities are ;kitchen gardens for households, fish farming, chicken farming and water tanks for safe drinking water. Overall, the CDC engagement has demonstrated solid community participation, strong community ownership and effective sustainability. The SCHM project is supported by the Australian Government through the Australian NGO Cooperation Program (ANCP).
