The subject of training was again at the heart of discussions during the wide-ranging UK-Nigeria team meeting which took place this week.
Comfort told us that the Fantsuam staff and their partners had received Nutritional training from one of their International volunteers. This highlighted the fact that although the local environment does in fact have all the food groups one needs for a healthy diet, it is important to educate the community about which food sources provide good cheap sources of protein, vitamins, carbohydrates etc. And to inform them what portions of the various food groups are required for a healthy diet. John demonstrated and reinforced the training by providing oranges for the staff and children on the Orphans and Vulnerable Children’s programmes.
Last Friday also saw the Fantsaum Project Monitoring Team receive training on Trauma care. Although the target group for this training were victims of the Jos crisis, the information will also be relevant for the team who daily assist members of their community in dealing with stressful situations. Examples include incidents of illness and death due to AIDS/HIV, Sickle Cell Disease and those targeted by Witchcraft accusations.
The team also spent time discussing the benefits of using Twitter. This is a recently acquired skill which was first learned by the UK team and is now being shared. In fact Chollom is now using Twitter on a daily basis and sucessfully put a photo of the new AIDS/HIV building being built ( See photo above). Kelechi is also Tweeting the latest news from Fantsuam and these Tweets can be seen on the website. An informal teaching session at Fantsuam for Chollom and Kelechi to pass on their Twitter skills to Comfort and others who had also expressed an interest has been identified as a learning interest.
Electronic resources for the Knowledge Resource Centre such as Ebooks, Smart phones and software was also discussed in some detail. Comfort went on to say that the next research title is on how rural areas would could use VOIP to send messages to their business partners.
Other matters discussed:
- Bala has made two trips to Abuja to follow up the funds to ensure the continued success of the Community Communication Centre.
- Attachab/climate change: Jen has "discovered a network of researchers called Africa College (see http://www.africacollege.leeds.ac.uk/) who aim to encourage sustainable productive agriculture and livelihoods with a science-based research initiative." she hopes to meet up with them.
Once again at the start of the New Year Fantsuam Foundation demonstrates once again that it is truly a fine example of a holistic and integrated approach to rural development.
For those who are unfamiliar with FF.
Fantsuam Foundation’s MISSION is: To eliminate poverty and disadvantage through integrated development programmes.
and its GOAL is: To be the most effective model of integrated rural development in West Africa.