Nutrition

Overview

The department has 3 main goals namely;

1. Save lives and alleviate suffering by providing nutrition care with regard to human dignity in all Nile hope operation areas
2. Ensure communities in Nile Hope operation areas are capacity-built to cope with significant threats to their nutrition status
3. Strengthen NH Nutrition department’s capacity to implement nutrition activities in the changing environment

The organization started implementing therapeutic nutrition services in 2007. Nile Hope’s Nutrition department is responsible for implementing mainly emergency nutrition interventions that seek to rehabilitate malnourished children below five years, pregnant and lactating women as well as other vulnerable members of the communities in both host communities and IDPs. The work done in this department contribute significantly to SDG 1,2,3 and to an extent 10, 16 and 17. The scope of work spans across 3 former states (Upper Nile state, Jonglei state and Unity) and five former counties of Pigi, Akobo, Leer, Fangak and Nassir.

Leadership structure

The department is headed by the Nutrition Coordinator, the Nutrition specialist, The Information and Reporting Officer and Roving Nutrition Officer in that order. In each of the counties where nutrition program is rolled out, there is a county project manager, a Nutrition supervisor and MIYCN officer. At the facility level there is a Clinical Officer/Nurse, Nurse Assistant/CHW/Feeding assistant, a community mobilizer, MIYCN facilitator, a cleaner and a security guard. Also present in each facility are Community Nutrition Volunteers and Mother support groups. The teams are coordinated at the facility level, county level then at Juba level in ascending order. Averagely, the organization runs about 30 OTP/TSFP sites and 4 stabilization centers across South Sudan in a year.

Nature of work

The department is responsible for collecting and tracking nutrition trends in the project implementation areas through standardized surveillance methods, use it to improve programming and compare with country-wide and regional trends, Resource mobilization (mainly finances, community mobilization and sourcing for qualified personnel), Networking and collaboration with other actors at country, regional and global level, Monitoring, evaluation, learning and information sharing.

In the geographical locations where Nile Hope runs nutrition program, the following specific services are offered

• Outpatient therapeutic program services
• Inpatient therapeutic program services
• supplementary feeding program services
• Maternal, Infant and Young Child Nutrition services
• Community Mobilization, sensitization campaigns and partnership

Leadership structure

The department works closely with several partners including UN agencies such as WFP and UNICEF who support the core pipeline, INGOs such as Concern Worldwide, Save the Children, IMA World Health and ZOA South Sudan.

Financial Need

The department runs on an average of between $1.7-2.7 Million per year depending on fluctuating needs and emerging challenges.