INAFOCAM, INABIE, FAO and UNPHU begin diploma in Food and Nutrition Education

The diploma is divided into four virtual modules and one in person and will be taught by specialized teachers contracted by INABIE with the support of FAO, the Brazil-FAO International Cooperation Program, the Brazilian Cooperation Agency of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (ABC/MRE) and the National Fund for Education Development of the Ministry of Education (FNDE/MEC).

Santo Domingo.- With the aim of continuing to contribute to the reduction of malnutrition in the Dominican student population, the National Institute of Student Welfare (INABIE) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), in partnership with Universidad Nacional Pedro Henríquez Ureña (UNPHU) and the National Institute of Teacher Training (INAFOCAM), began the diploma “Effective Food and Nutritional Education from the educational center. Tools to achieve healthy and sustainable eating.”

This initiative, which emerges within the framework of the Project “Healthy School Environment through Innovative Strategies for Strengthening the School Feeding Program”, is aimed at teachers, technicians and representatives of institutions related to food and nutrition; which can serve as a reference to the curriculum for the creation of an effective food and nutrition education strategy from school (EAN-E) at the national level.

The launch of this training was held at the Max Henríquez Ureña Hall of Universidad Nacional Pedro Henríquez Ureña (UNPHU), during which Patricia Matos, academic vice-chancellor at UNPHU, valued the collective effort of the institutions to make this training a reality.

On the part of INAFOCAM, the teacher Gelson Navarro commented that this training program will have outstanding specialists and national and international experts of food and nutrition, who will share their knowledge and experiences in the implementation of effective educational programs through master conferences, working tables and participatory educational dynamics. With this, they seek to design concrete strategies and incorporate food and nutritional education in a transversal way in the school curriculum.

On his side, FAO representative, Rodrigo Castañeda, highlighted the organization’s commitment to the Dominican Government to ensure food security.

Meanwhile, the Executive Director of INABIE, Víctor Castro, indicated that this diploma will enrich the understanding about healthy and sustainable food. “We came together with a common goal, to explore the tools and knowledge needed to promote a healthier and more sustainable lifestyle for the educational community.

Panel of experts

During the launch event, the panel “Towards a National Strategy for Food and Nutrition Education (NFN)” was developed, composed of the FAO Nutrition Officer, Israel Rios; the Director of Nutrition Formulation and Evaluation of INABIE, Ana Carolina Báez; and the international specialist in food and nutritional education, Luisa López.

The panelists explained the importance of strengthening the capacities of teachers, technicians and managers of entities and organizations, to generate competencies and share tools that allow a more assertive approach to the educational community.  

The event was attended by the representative of FAO in the Dominican Republic, Rodrigo Castañeda; the representative of the Brazil-FAO cooperation project, Najla Veloso, in addition, the head of the Department of Nutrition, Yomaira Tejeda; the head of International Cooperation, Jesús Rodríguez; the head of the Division of Nutritional Assessment, Ana Zabala, and Adrian Roa, analyst of Cooperation Projects, among other collaborators.