Orphans and Vulnerable Children - CRIN

Steps to Help Malnourished OVC

In this activity, you will:

 Discuss ways that the community can address poor nutrition in OVC

Facilitator’s notes:

Some possible community-based strategies for addressing poor nutrition among OVC:

• Educate caregivers about proper nutrition and provide practical advice about improving
  nutrition in the household


• Train home visitors to provide nutrition information and advice


• Help households to start vegetable gardens (individually or communally)


• Train caregiver households in more effective farming practices


• Provide vulnerable households with seeds and tools to cultivate nutrient-rich foods


• Help households to start income-generating activities that can raise money for food


• Advocate for children to get treated for worms and other illnesses that cause poor nutrition


• Raise community awareness about good nutrition and advocate against cultural beliefs and
  practices that promote poor nutrition


• Help dangerously malnourished children to access food rations mobilised from within the
  community or from an NGO that provides food aid.

For this activity you will need:

 Flipchart and markers

 Copies of Handout 4

To facilitate this activity:

1 Divide the participants in groups and ask them to brainstorm

the steps they can take to address poor nutrition in the

children they visit. Participants may identify the following:

• Educate OVC and their caregivers about proper
  nutrition, using the handouts provided in this module,
  together with drawings and/or examples of actual
  foods, and provide practical advice about improving
  nutrition in the household.


• Help households to start vegetable and food gardens.


• Help children to access treatment for worms and other
  conditions that cause poor nutrition.

The CCC may already have identified ways to assist

malnourished children in the community. Discuss these

and what further steps home visitors can take when they

encounter malnourished children.

2 Hand out copies of Handout 4 to participants.

Activity 7

45 minutes

(^234) Unit 2, Module 3 Guide to Mobilising and Strengthening Community-Led Care for Orphans and Vulnerable Children