Experience of a community based feeding and education program for malnourished preschool children and their mothers

Program Title:
Community-based feeding and education program for malnourished children and their mothers in the Philippines.

Program Location:
Volunteer for Visayans, Tacloban City, Philippines

Program Overview:
Students work with the Volunteer for Visayans (VFV) Community Feeding Project in Tacloban City, Philippines for three-weeks. The placement involves assessing children’s nutritional status; providing nutrition education to children and/or mothers; planning menus; purchasing food from local markets; preparing cooked lunches for pre-schoolers in disadvantaged barangays (local council areas) and completing a project co-designed with VFV. In April, students will also implement nutrition activities at the annual ‘Medical Mission’ where medical and allied health volunteers provide services to the villagers. Prior to departure, students will undertake cultural safety training and develop a personal learning plan that they will implement while in-country. Students live with local host families, enabling them to be immersed in traditional Filipino life, learn about local issues and make a sustainable contribution to the community. It provides you with a unique experience and knowledge related to public health nutrition in a developing region.

Program Dates:
April 2020 (Rotation 2 or if a BHN student over the mid-semester break plus one week)

Places Available: Up to 8 places. Funding is available through an OS-HELP loan where students are eligible to loan up to $8000, interest free (it is added to your HECS loan). Students can also apply for a $500 scholarship from the University.

Open To:
Admission into:·

Master of Nutrition and Dietetics, Year 1 eligible to enrol in NUTD9145 Independent Studies in Nutrition and Dietetics
Bachelor of Nutrition and Dietetics Year 4, eligible to enrol in NUTD4106 Independent Studies in Nutrition and Dietetics (4.5 units)
Bachelor of Human Nutrition Year 3, eligible to enrol in NUTD3110 Independent Studies in Nutrition and Dietetics
International students enrol in NUTD9145 or NUTD3110 or NUTD4106 (are eligible for the $500 scholarship from the University, but not an OS-LOAN)

Application Deadline: Monday 9 December. See how to apply for more details.

Eligibility:

Australian citizens or International students
Undergraduate students
Post-graduate students
Successful completion of between 18/36 units with a GPA of 5.0/4.5 or higher in current degree.
Students will be required to attend three compulsory workshops prior to departure.

Credit:
On successful completion of the project, students will be eligible to receive 4.5 units of credit.

Costs:
$3000 covers Volunteer for Visayans program fee and the costs of flights, internal flights, accommodation with a local family and two meals per day. Domestic students are eligible for OS-HELP to subsidise costs. Everyone lives in a local, walled community within a couple of houses from each other. The V4V office is also in the community.

How to Apply:
Students should submit an online enquiry via Ask Flinders (click “Request Support”) and have their study plan checked by the College for program eligibility before applying.

Please ask the following question in your enquiry:

Do I have 4.5 units of elective space to participate in the NCP program
Am I able to enrol into Independent Studies in Nutrition and Dietetics (4.5 units) NUTD4106 OR NUTD3110 OR NUTD9145

Once you confirm that you have elective space in your program, submit an Expression of Interest to louisa.matwieiczyk@flinders.edu.au by Monday 9 December.

Your expression of interest should include the following:

Your full name, Flinders student number
Unofficial transcript (download one from the Student Systems)
Project preference (if any): Indonesia or Philippines and when (Feb or April or any)
A short (no more than 500 word) statement in response to the following three questions:

Why do you want to be involved in this overseas project?
What are some of the learning outcomes you expect from this experience?
What might be some of the likely challenges for you in undertaking the overseas placement?
How will the experience develop your knowledge and skills as a health professional?

Further Information:
Ms Louisa Matwiejczyk
Lecturer, College of Nursing and Health Sciences
Email: louisa.matwiejczyk@flinders.edu.au
Phone: 7221 8848

Volunteer for the Visayans Website

Read more on the ‘Nutrition and Dietetics general Information’ page on FLO. Scroll down to find information, videos by previous students and more.