The common goal of each project undertaken within HAS’s U.N. OCHA/Cash for Work Program is to employ Haitians and address issues which are ongoing obstacles to an improved quality of life for the people in HAS’s service area; the Animatrice Program plays a vital role in ensuring that HAS achieves that goal.
As the Artibonite Valley’s population has increased due to displaced people since the January earthquake, so too have the risk factors which contribute to malnutrition and disease, particularly for families living in the denuded mountains, all of whom are dependent on rain-fed subsistence cultivation.
Each rainy season, HAS sees a spike in patients with increased cases of respiratory infections and diarrheas....the physical manifestations of malnutrition, and are particularly dangerous for children 5 years of age and younger.
The Animatrice Program trains and employs local women to visit local households or lakou (courtyards) to assess what contributing factors exist which place children at risk for disease. The Animatrices use a graphic form which shows images of risk factors, such as lack of latrine and unfiltered water storage, using check marks as indicators. The image-only forms remove the obstacle of illiteracy and were designed and tested with the assistance of focus groups consisting of local women.
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Last week Gozde, and managers from HAS’ Services Communautaires Integrés, accompanied several home visitors as they used the form at their neighbors’ courtyards. The visits were successful and validated the process and the effectiveness of the graphic questionaire.
The households with children 5yrs and younger which are determined to be at high risk will be eligible for a distribution of supplemental foods. Over several years, the Animatrice program has the potential to measurably reduce the cases of severe malnutrition in the mountain communities which HAS serves.
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