Introduction
Chad has benefited from support from IFNA/JICA in developing an intervention project and training programs. This includes the field visit to Madagascar in February 2024 as well as participation in the IFNA’s Regional Training in Gabon in March 2023, which provided valuable insights for the ongoing efforts. In this context, a workshop was organized on November 13 and 14, 2024, to share knowledge and experiences regarding the technical approaches used by IFNA-JICA.
The overall objective of the two-day workshop is to share knowledge and experiences on the approaches and techniques used by IFNA-JICA. Specifically, it aims to familiarize participants with the technical approaches adopted by IFNA: the multisectoral approach emphasizing nutrition-sensitive agriculture and the nutrient-focused approach (NFA), as well as the Japanese Seikatsu Kaizen approach (meaning “livelihood improvement” in Japanese) to improve people’s life.
The workshop brought together 25 participants, members of the Permanent Technical Committee on Nutrition and Food (CTPNA), including representatives from various ministries responsible for health, agriculture and education, and development partners, including representatives from UN agencies (UNICEF, WFP, WHO, FAO, UNFPA) and other International and local NGOs (Alerte Santé, Forma-Nut, RITN, IRED, Nutrition International) working in the field of nutrition.
A hybrid method was used to allow facilitators and the IFNA team to intervene online who could not participate in person. Pr. Mahamat Bechir, the IFNA focal point in Chad, led the workshop over the two days.
Workshop Sessions and Discussion
As an introduction, the participants firstly presented the nutritional context in Chad, including key nutritional issues such as anemia in children, the multisectoral coordination through different levels, and agriculture-nutrition linkages. They also shared the National Policy on Nutrition and Food accompanied by an Intersectoral Action Plan. Following that, Dr. Priscilla, IFNA regional consultant, introduced the objectives and overview of IFNA, including its multisectoral and nutrient-focused approaches, as well as the corresponding interventions.
Nutrient Focused Approaches (NFA)
Mr. Nakada, Senior Technical Adviser of JICA, presented the nutrient focused approach, highlighting the role of micronutrient-rich foods in improving nutrition outcomes. The presentation also addressed challenges, constitutes of a healthy diet, underlying causes within the framework of nutritional issues and concluding with dietary recommendations for healthy diets. This approach uses an Excel tool to determine nutrient deficiencies and identify locally available foods to meet needs, enabling necessary dietary adjustments.
Japanese Seikatsu Kaizen approach
The Japanese Seikatsu Kaizen approach particularity aims to improve the living conditions of rural populations by nurturing their self-reliance, without any outside help but using existing local resources. This movement has enabled the country’s social development, which in turn has had a spectacular impact on the economy. This session followed JICA’s field training of Knowledge Co-Creation Program led by Pr. Ota, Senior Technical Adviser of JICA as well as Ms. Seki, Researcher at NPO (International Farmers Participation Technical Network: IFPaT). Most of the technical materials used during the workshop were utilized those previously developed by them.
The JICA introduction film which emphasized lessons from livelihood improvement experiences in postwar Japan, followed by Dr. Priscilla’s presentation referencing original materials developed by Pr. Ota for field training, stimulated discussion and highlighted a number of approaches, their popularization and awareness of their own problems and solutions. Participants appreciated the approach and expressed in adopting them to their contexts, taking into account the effects of climate change and local specificities.
Following a recorded instructional film by Ms. Seki to guide overview of the action research method, Pr. Bechir presented details of each tool. The tool includes Daily routine, Gender-based task analysis, Seasonal calendar, Community analysis and Happiness tree, all of which contribute to visualize situations and identify potential needs, and identify actions to improve and share visions.
Participants worked by group after the lecture to familiarize the tools by applying them to fictitious cases, and to make recommendations for their possible application in Chad. For instance, one group analyzed the distribution of household activities and identified seasonal variations in food productivity using the Seasonal Calendar tool, providing critical insights for aligning nutrition interventions with periods of food abundance or scarcity.
Conclusion
The workshop successfully conducted despite the minor technical problems at the beginning of the sessions to communicate online smoothly. At the conclusion of the workshop, participants provided several recommendations. These included expanding opportunities within the country to incorporate the analytical tools shared by JICA and IFNA during the sessions, as well as strengthening collaboration with nutrition-related departments to ensure better integration and utilization of these tools. Participants also suggested that JICA and IFNA continue to conduct similar workshops for other stakeholders involved in nutrition, with both technical and financial support.
Overall, the participants demonstrated a keen interest in the presentations, as reflected in their questions put to the facilitators and their suggestions for applying the knowledge at country level. Beyond this workshop, IFNA will continue its collaboration with Chad to advance improved nutrition outcomes across the country.
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