Loes Van Hest teaching Mvutjini NCP children about sustainability

I began by measuring BMIs at the NCPs in Ekuzukekeni and Ezulwini, where I discovered a significant difference between the two. After measuring the BMIs, I also focused on a school in a rural area, Lamgambhi. Despite their different environments, Ezulwini and Lamgambhi had one thing in common: around 40% of the children in both schools were underweight. I wanted to find out why, as the conditions at these two NCPs are very different.

Loes measuring BMIs at Lamgabhi NCP

I gathered information from teachers, staff, and other people I met during my internship in the neighbourhood. After identifying the reasons for the underweight issues, I created a suggestion report. In this report, I provided advice and suggestions that All Out Africa can implement in the future.

I learned a lot from my internship. I developed skills in creating effective schedules, setting priorities, and establishing boundaries. I was given the freedom to determine what I needed to achieve my goals while receiving the necessary guidance and support.

Ekuzukekeni NCP children having their lunch

I experienced the culture in various ways, observing the differences between city life, peri-urban areas, and rural areas, and how these environments affect the residents. I learned that each environment has unique challenges, and there isn’t a one-size-fits-all solution. However, one thing remains important across all areas: raising awareness about issues like healthy living, especially understanding what is and isn’t healthy and the consequences of an unhealthy lifestyle. There’s no better place to start than at an early age, at the NCP.

Written by Loes Van Hest – Early Childhood Health and Nutrition intern 

The following letter is from our latest Nutrition Intern, to the intern that follows. Our hearts throb a little to see you go. Thanks for your positive attitude and the opportunity to work with you the last 4 weeks! Hope others will be inspired to follow in your footsteps!

August 29. 2017

Dear Nutrition Intern,

Congratulations with your internship!

Your weeks here are going to be jam packed with adventures, thorough research in the office, field outings and hopefully lots of great ideas will arise like it did with me.

The nutrition internship is going to give you plenty of room for your creativity and personal involvement. Don’t be surprised if you feel the urge to help some of the children you meet or get inspired to start something here or back home. It’s a natural urge when encountered with situations, which are very different from your own. I encourage you to do so, as it might lead to a whole new, exciting journey for you to embark on, where the future gives you what you harvest today!.

During the first few weeks you might feel compelled by the idea that you need to find ‘your special project’ and at the same time you might feel disappointed that you have not found it yet. I discovered that asking questions sparks creativity, and insight gives knowledge. So I asked Yuko (my manager) and Eunice (NCP –coordinator) quite a lot of questions to get more information about their current situation, projects, other challenges, solutions, what past volunteers did etc. I finally found my special project after 1.5 weeks, which was to fill in the gaps in the pilot study on E’PAP, and write a paper on challenges and solutions within the pilot study, and get the framework done from a research perspective. Luckily, I also found out what I wanted to spend my professional time with when I get home, relating to the experiences I had in Eswatini. Yes, you might even discover how you could combine your passion of helping others with a business idea or a professional path, which you had not considered before. So being open and observant, inquisitive and creative, this internship has the potential to take you places, you haven’t taken before. Luckily, there is plenty of room for engagement here at ‘All out Africa’ where the quiet hours of the day may give you the spark, which ignites you.

I am especially thankful that nobody will be breathing behind your neck with projects for you to. You have time to be proactive, and focus on what you want to achieve from they your internship.

I have made a framework for the pilot study, which is emailed to Eunice and Yuko, so if you want to fill in the gaps, they can forward it to you in a pdf.

All the best,

Sheena