The ANC Project

      One of our goals as PCVs in Cambodia is to increase maternal and child health awareness in the villages.  In order to do this, three other PCVs and myself just finished leading a pilot of the ANC Project at a health center.  Amber, Margaret and I traveled to Brittni's health center to teach a couple of her Village Health Volunteers the essentials about pre-and postnatal health.  We covered simple things like maternal nutrition and the importance of iodine and iron in her diet, to more complex items such as traditional beliefs we are working against.  The idea is that the Village Health Volunteers, who have more contact with pregnant mothers in the village (who may not come into the health center to see us), will be able to do a little education of their own, and will be better able to counsel a pregnant woman on whether or not she needs to come in to see midwives at the health center.  

     First we composed a manual of sorts, with lessons and activities to assist in the workshops.  All of the lessons and activities are accompanied by necessary props (paper-wise) as well as Khmer translations and Khmer-English transliterations.  We planned for the manual to be able to be used by any PCV if they want aid teaching about ANC care at their health centers.  After completing this pilot session, we are now making small changes to improve the manual and the workshops, and will be having another (hopefully smoother, more improved) workshop at my own health center early next year.  

The Village Health Volunteers participated in activities after each lesson.

 Amber and I go through the importance of iodine in a pregnant woman's diet for both the mother and the baby.

This was during a review session, I went through steps pregnant women should take, such as going to the health center for checkups, learning about good nutrition and changing their diet for the benefit of the baby, saving money for the birth, and having a plan to get to the health center.

The Village Health Volunteers (back) with Brittni's tutor (back right) and PCVs (front from left to right) Amber, Margaret, Brittni, me

Here's to more ANC Projects, more education, and better health.

xo-Amanda