Fish and Nutrition Workshop Day 1 (Technical Session I )

1. Integrating Nutrition in Aquaculture/Agriculture
in AIN
Using the Aquaculture/Agriculture - Nutrition Linkages Component
developed
and
Beginning with Nutrition Education for Behaviour Change in ENA and
EHA
Based on the Rationale:
•Enhancing household income and food production are important
contributors to improving nutrition, especially in households dependent
on agriculture for primary livelihood
•Incorporating nutrition education into agricultural investments helps to
translate production and income gains into nutrition improvements

2. Training Needs Assessment (TNA)
First Step
•Staff level
•Farmer level
• Household aquaculture farmer groups
• Commercial aquaculture farmer group
• Mola farmer groups
• Demo farmer groups
• Shrimp farmer groups

3. TNA results
• Very few staff had nutrition training for more than 1 hour
• Many knew about exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months but
were not sure what it meant
• They knew that a child needs complementary feeding (CF) but not
sure when to start
• They were not aware about age appropriate CF (e.g. frequency of
feeding, amount, density)
• Most had heard about ante-natal care (ANC) but did not know its
importance. How often?
• They knew that pregnant and lactating women need iron but not why?
• Hand washing: usually washed hands with water before eating and
after defaecation

4. Training of Trainers (ToT) in AIN
• 355 staff are directly involved with
household farmers
• 4 days nutrition training was given to the
staff which includes:
• Complementary feeding
• Adolescents’ nutrition
• Women’s (pregnant and lactating)
nutrition
• Hygiene practices (critical
moments for hand washing)
• Tippy tap installation
• Cooking demonstration (mola
chop, OSP halwa)

5. Implementation plan for 2014 in AIN
Farmers’ training (Group meetings)
•8 sessions (March - September) (2 hr/session)
•In 2nd
- 7th
sessions: nutrition education for 30-40 minutes
•8th
session: entirely on nutrition (2 hr)
Pond/household visit
•Every 2nd
month
•Individual problem to be discussed

6. Supervision and Follow up
• To be done by partner organization experienced in the field of
nutrition
• Random check of some the group training sessions as well as
pond/households visits, observe and keep notes of issues to be
discussed at monthly meeting
• Monthly meetings with field facilitators (FFs) and technical
specialist (TS).
• Success and failure stories, solutions and obstacles to be
discussed at monthly meetings

7. Hand washing manual

8. Opportunities
• Production of micronutrient rich fish and vegetables being
promoted in the same households
• Increased production and productivity are more likely to
increase consumption of in the households (specially in women
and young children) as they are being given nutrition education
• Easy access of nutrient-rich foods by women from
pond/dyke/homestead garden to kitchen/cooking pot
• Increase availability of micronutrient-rich foods at local market
• Reduce gender inequality

9. Challenges
• Nutrition training is given to the staff who are mainly involved with
agriculture production
• No field level staff with nutrition background
• Lack of interest and commitment of all level of staff towards nutrition
• The same staff to give both Production and Nutrition training
• During production season, staff might not have enough time to focus
on nutrition education
• Follow up, supervision and monitoring - need qualified and
experienced partner
• Little time shortage for intervention - households are phased out after
2 years

10. Thank you