By volunteering on a nutrition project, you can help us in addressing a critical local public health issue whilst at the same time working closely with VFV staff and local community members to tailor projects to combat hunger and improve food security.
Nutrition tends to be an issue that is overlooked by many Filipino communities. As a result issues such as chronic heart disease, diabetes, vitamin A deficiency, PEM and malnourishment are rampant in a society that cannot comprehend the importance of a healthy diet.
A critical objective is to educate Filipinos on the need to cut back on the amount of sugar and salt they use in their local diet, and to increase consumption of vegetables. There is little public education on these needs.
To this end, VFV created its Public Nutrition Project with the ongoing goal being to alter Filipino attitudes towards food whilst at the same time addressing the issues of undernourishment amongst local community pre-school children.
You will work with VFV’s Community Feeding Project, planning, budgeting and providing supplementary feeding menu’s for the daily feeding of up to 35 preschool children. At the same time, you will work closely with local mothers to educate them on the importance of nutrition and to investigate and implement long term solutions to combat hunger and food security. Such methods might include investigating the possibility and effectiveness of organizing local community feeding kitchens and implementing plans for communities to become self-sustainable.
WHY WE NEED YOU
There are very few nutritional experts in the Philippines, hence VFV initiated this project to address this health problem. The current high incidence of premature deaths, hypertension, diabetes, and other illnesses will decrease with good nutritional practices.
You will need to plan and prepare a supplementary feeding program for undernourished children whilst at the same time constantly surveying their growth and providing analysis.
You will also conduct seminars to raise awareness of the importance of nutrition and look at long term solutions to combat hunger and improve food security.
What’s Included
What is included: Airport Reception, Accommodation with local host family, 2 meals a day (breakfast and dinner), program orientation, Waray Waray language lesson, 24 hour local staff support
What’s Not Included
What’s not Included: International or Domestic Airfares, Insurance or Visa
Trip Itinerary
Requirements: Minimum age 18
Training: Pre-Departure information sent during application process: in-depth local orientation conducted upon arrival.
Experience: Knowledge in the field of nutrition required.
Working Hours: 08:00am – 12 noon or 1:00-6:00PM, Monday to Friday (minimum)
Activities: Plan and prepare supplementary feeding, monitor and analyze clientele growth, organize interactive seminars with community members, make efforts to change attitudes towards the importance of different food groups.
Program And Price
Project Location: Rural Towns near Tacloban
Cost: $800 US Dollars for 2 weeks, $80 for each week thereafter. Find out more about program fees.
Project Duration: 2 weeks (minimum) – 6 months (maximum)
Availability: All Year Round
