COMMUNITY BASED – SUB PROGRAM

The community-based sub-program is an initiative that the Alola Foundation seeks to improve community health by promote the Safe Motherhood, Birth Spacing, Newborn Care and Infant and Child Feeding (IYCF) Initiative and strengthen target community groups with the establishment and improvement of the functioning of Mothers’ Support Groups (MSG) and Suco Hadomi Inan ho Oan (SHIO). In its implementation, this sub-program includes several activities carried out at the village level, as outlined below

Established And Induction Of MSG And SHIO In Line With Local Health Centres Plan In Municipalities

Every year the Alola Foundation for Maternal and Child Health (MCH) expands its coverage area to new villages. However, previously the team carried out activities with community leaders to discuss the possibility of forming an MSG/SHIO group and identify potential volunteer members. Community leaders and local governments, especially the Ministry of Health, finally accepted the Alola program.


Subsequent, community leaders selected volunteer members to take part in Baseline Survey training and Participatory Problem Analysis (PPA) workshops. A total of 137 members took part in the training (F: 102, M: 35). In 2023, the Alola Foundation team has formed MSG/SHIO groups in Manatutu and Manufahi municipalities a total nine MSG/SHIO groups including six groups in Manatutu and three groups in Manufahi.

Build The Capacity Of Health Care Workers And MSG Groups In Municipality – IYCF Training For Health Care Workers And MSG Groups In Municipalities:

The Alola Foundation Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Program continued its collaboration with the National Institute for Health and organized a four-day middle-level training on IYCF for 95 health care worker representatives from Community health centers and Health Posts from Lautem and Viqueque municipalities. The objective was to equip health care workers with the necessary skills to train MSG members in their respective villages.


Subsequent, in 2023, Health workers support with Alola staff continue facilitated four-days training on IYCF and Basic Safe Motherhood, Family Planning, and Community Management of Acute Malnutrition (CMAM) for a total of 1,505 MSG/SHIO members (F: 1,230, M: 275) in Lautem and Viqueque. Whiles, in Aileu, Ainaro, Liquica, Manatutu and Manufahi  municipalities were facilitate by MCH staff.

Health Promotion Packages – Support Community Mobilization, Counselling, And Nutrition Screening

The incidence of malnutrition in Timor Leste still shows quite a large prevalence, especially in seven municipalities there were several cases of malnutrition. This will result in a decline in the quality of public health so that it can risk the quality of life of the community specially children under five years. People from seven municipalities were majority agricultural subsistence, however,  the community lacks of the skills to manage nutritious food to address the problem of malnutrition.


Different methods to approach to resolve this case, through health promotion by empowering pregnant and breastfeeding mothers and community is essential on how to choose healthy and nutritious food and cook properly. The Alola team assisted the SHIO/MSG group in facilitating health promotion through cooking demonstrations, community discussions using flip charts provided according to the desired session, monthly meeting, film shows focused on basic safe motherhood practices and the importance of breastfeeding.


In addition, SHIO/MSG members had also continue to provide counselling at Community Health Centres and Health Posts, mobile clinic/SISCa and do household visits to promoted and support exclusive breastfeeding and timely appropriate complementary food and feeding practices encourage pre and post natal care, including routine vaccinations for children under five years old.


These activities were conducted in Aileu, Ainaro, Baucau, Dili, Liquica, Lautem, Manufahi, Manatutu and Viqueque municipalities, with a total of 11,680 participants attending the sessions, including children under five years old who participated in cooking demonstrations. Through this activity, people were more aware of consuming healthy food and trained in processing varied menus, especially those from local ingredients such as green vegetable, chicken meat, eggs, fish, beans etc.


In addition to the activity mentioned above, On this occasion, the SHIO/MSG conducted screening for pregnant and lactating women and children under five to determine their nutritional status and refer those children who suffered malnourish.  As result 241 pregnant and 175 lactating women malnutrition, and 60 children under 5 years who were malnourished.   They were immediately provided with counselling and referral to community health posts for treatment.


SHIO/MSG Monthly Monitoring Meetings, Support Referral And Maternity Packs Distribution:

This is regular activity was carried out by SHIO/MSG groups in each target area in the municipalities. A total of 2,292 SHIO/MSG active members attended regular monthly meetings in Aileu, Ainaro, Baucau, Dili, Liquica, Lautem, Manufahi, Manatuto and Viqueque municipalities. The aims was to follow up, monitor, and supervise the SHIO/MSG members’ counselling activities, and collect data on referrals and counselling conducted at healthy facilities.


From the meeting, the SHIO members reported that during the year, the SHIO members had referred 63 pregnant women to Health Facilities for safe delivery, and 10 sick children for treatment. Additionally, 230 maternity packs were distributed through several health facilities in Ainaro and, Aileu, Manufahi including to Maubisse and Baucau Hospital to encourage safe delivery at the existing health facilities.


Celebration of World Breastfeeding Week and Support Vitamin A Distributions

This is a global event happening in the world to support mother in optimal breastfeeding their baby anywhere and anytime. All countries celebrated World Breastfeeding Week in August, including Timor – Leste. In August 2023, the MCH team, together with the MSG/SHIO groups and Health workers having a Breastfeeding Week campaign in Aileu, Ainaro, Dili, Liquica, Lautem, Manufahi and Viqueque municipalities with the national theme, Kria ambiente hodi tulun hau atu fo susu hau nia oan iha ne’ebe deit ” and Global theme “Enabling breastfeeding: making a difference for working parents”.  


This campaign encourage mother breastfeeding their baby within the first hour of birth and continue exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months then continue breastfeeding to two years. The activity carried out during the events was holding a healthy baby contest. The criteria for selecting the winner have been settled including babies must be exclusively breastfed for the first six months and having a healthy regular weight.


There were 6,068 participants of pregnant and lactating women, community members (caregivers) and local authorities including 3,733 babies aged 0 – 59 months participated in the in this event.


As the result, 639 children (49.3%) out of 1,297 infants between age 6-24 months who compete in a Healthy Baby Contest being selected as the winner of the healthy baby contests composed of 328 girls and 312 boys.


The winners of the contest were awarded with prizes as the appreciation for their efforts in maintaining good health for their babies and for being as the role model in their community. This contest was held successfully by the Fundasaun Alola team in collaboration with the existing health facilities and the SHIO/MSG members. On this occasion, the health workers from the mentioned health facilities had also provided Vitamin A and The worming tablets to the children who taking part in the event.

Male Engagement Forums Led By Male Facilitators

In 2023, a total of 39 fathers recruited in 10 villages in Manatuto municipality and trained on Men Care. As result fathers were improved knowledge and practice in maternal and child health care and benefit of their involvement in the activity (including assisted birth delivery, post-natal care, birth preparedness, danger signs during pregnancy, newborn care as well as gender issues based on Men Care Training guideline. Training methods were theoretical explanation and roll play through drama fathers assist their wife birth delivery, motivate and encourage wife during birth delivery. Whiles, male engagement forum held a total of 8 sessions per village conducted and reached 179 participants (F:34; M:145).  Topics covered in the sessions include expectations, fathers’ impact, pregnancy and birth, family planning, caregivers, gender and non-violence.

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