Financial Literacy and Nutrition Education for Rural Women

Developed in partnership with the Conseil National de Financement Populaire (KNFP), this 6-day training course introduced women to simple management techniques, logistics, business plan preparation, market analysis and product pricing. While stressing the importance of financial planning, the training went into greater depth on fundamental concepts (investment, savings, amortization, access to financing and credit, etc.). Each participant was shown how to increase profits and improve her business plan (reducing expenses, analyzing risks, seeking opportunities, development, etc.). The aim was to enhance the women's skills to help them take better advantage of income-generating opportunities and maximize the benefits of the subsidies received through RESEPAG.

Training sessions were organized to encourage rural women to adopt good nutritional practices. Six trainers were mobilized for this purpose by the North and North-East health departments. Most of the workshops focused on improving diet diversification and nutritional content. These included role-playing on how to prepare a balanced meal, food groups and water chlorination. 

The information sessions also addressed the key role of women and their influence on the family diet, the importance of good nutrition and how to obtain it from local produce, the consequences of excess or deficiency of food on the health of family members (particularly nursing mothers and young children), and the sometimes harmful influence that taboos and popular beliefs can have on eating habits. The trainers also carried out prevention and awareness-raising work on hygiene (domestic hygiene, personal hygiene, hand washing) and responsible sexual practices (sexually transmitted infections and family planning).