Project Overview

A community-based mothers and infants center called "Healthy Moms for Healthy Kids" (Pusat Ibu dan Anak Sihat or PIAS) will be established in Kota Emessu, the city surrounding the Universitas Pembangunan Pertanian (UNPEMPER). PIAS will focus on providing nutritional education and counseling for mothers, especially those from the extremely low income areas. It is expected that through the providing of information to the mothers that it will be possible to have a direct and positive effect on the well being of the young children of the community.

PIAS will utilize volunteers who are students at UNPEMPER. Each student will be expected to successfully participate in a 4 week training program at the beginning of their work with PIAS. This training program will provide basic nutritional information for mothers and information on adult teaching methods. Student volunteers who demonstrate proficiency during the initial training program will be invited to participate in an advanced training program to learn effective nutritional counseling techniques. Each student volunteer will be expected to contribute 3-5 hours each week and to continue with PIAS for a period of not less than 6 months.

PIAS will operate with 6 full and part time staff members. In addition, a Governing Board made up of community leaders and university staff will operate to provide overall sanctioning of the Center's operation. Periodic evaluations will be conducted to assess the value of PIAS on a) helping the student volunteers to become effective educators, b) the development of new understandings on the part of local mothers and c) the improvement of the well being of children in Kota Emessu.