Since we came into being in July 2013, Children for Health has been asked to help with nutrition education programmes for children. For example, we have worked with the Provincial Government of Tete in Mozambique and with a Save the Children programme in Cambodia. We help with programme design, training, materials development and evaluation. We have co-created nutrition education materials with experts and practitioners in many other countries and projects.
I thought it might be helpful for this community to put our nutrition resources into one place. It’s important to acknowledge that this is not only ‘my’ work but work I have developed with very many others over the years!
All our storybooks are aimed at children aged 9-14 and for children of this age to read to younger children. In the back of the storybook there are lots of questions and fun activities for teachers and older children to use.
How to Be Good at Football tells the story of a boy called Mika. Mika loves football and wants to win the match at school, but he is feeling too weak and sick. He finds out that small things like nails are very important because they hold big things together and learns that the micronutrients in colourful food help to keep his body strong so that he can play football well.
In Portuguese: Como ser um Bom Jogador de Futebol
The Rainbow Garden tells the story of a group of children as they learn the importance of a varied and balanced diet. The teacher at school helps the children to plant a garden full of colourful vegetables and they learn that to be strong and healthy they need to eat food of many colours. The rainbow food helps baby Sylvia get well and strong again and gives the children a surprising way to find a lovely birthday present for Mama Ruth.
In Portuguese: O Jardim Arco-Íris
The Puzzle tells the story of two children, Mika and Christina, going on a journey to find a series of puzzle cards hidden around their village. They work out the answers to the puzzles and find out how to stay healthy and avoid the germs that make people sick. They learn how to make a tippy tap to wash their hands and other ways to beat the germs.
In Portuguese: O Quebra-Cabeças
ZaZa and ZuZu the parrots are angry that the men always eat first and do not remember to leave enough food for the children and for Mama. What can the parrots do to make sure that the children have enough to eat? The story tells of how they find a clever way to show the family how to use plates and share the food out before eating.
In Portuguese: Cada um Conta
A two-sided poster, co-created with teachers and trainers in Mozambique, describes a three-step process used when implementing this programme. This tool was more widely used than the textbook we developed.
Our two-sided nutrition poster and one of a series. Our ten messages on nutrition with implementation ideas on the back.
A two-sided poster that sets out our 100 Messages for Children to Learn and Share (including out 10 nutrition messages, plus activities)
This 60-page guide was developed to support the implementation of the PCAAN project in Tete province. It has lesson plans and activities and is structured around the EIGHT messages designed for the programme by government officials and teachers.
100 health messages for children to learn and share. Ten messages in ten topics, including: Malaria; Diarrhoea; Nutrition; Coughs, Colds & Pnemonia; Intestinal Worms; Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH); Immunisation; HIV & AIDS; Accidents & Injury Prevention and Caring for Babies & Young Children.
The messages support teachers who use it to structure school curricula, health workers who design health campaigns and provide content for social media.
The messages give teachers, youth workers and parents a basic, but essential, list of what children should know and be able to share about health before leaving Primary School. Also included in the booklet are suggested activities linked to each topic to support children’s understanding and outreach. This booklet is available from the Children for Health website in many languages.