Translating academic learning into practice is a challenge. So SPRING/Uganda created a “Nutrition Trainee” (internship) program that combines class and field work, helping students develop the knowledge and skills needed to produce meaningful results. For the first year of this program, two students at Kyambogo University—Asasira Adera and Carol Noel Agabiirwe—worked with SPRING on an activity focused on social and behavior change communication (SBCC) strategies to improve nutrition.
Described in more detail on USAID’s Impact blog, the Nutrition Trainee program enabled Adera and Carol to apply the nutrition assessment, counseling, and support (NACS) approach; to work with hospitals and pharmacies to ensure that pregnant women receive iron-folic acid (IFA) tablets; and to counsel mothers and fathers with children under age two to adopt targeted nutrition behaviors, such as exclusive breastfeeding.