Phase 4 / Education
“Operation Hunger trained me as a betterPerson and developed my skills so that I can educate other people.” – Makhosi Buthelezi
Problem Statement
A lack of education can be defined as a state where people have a below-average level of common knowledge about basic things that they would urgently need in their daily life. Education is an urgent need for some communities as opposed to a nice-to-have in the sense that survival depends on it. Education that is contextually relevant, practical and applicable is an important factor in overcoming food insecurity.
The skills and knowledge to conduct a safe, healthy and productive life, provided through education, is a pressing need in many South African communities. We deem education as an ongoing requirement, which is why we implement it on the first day of a project and throughout the duration of that project.
Education Overview
As part of our holistic approach to fighting malnutrition, we understand that education is key to the success of our projects.
Our education programmes include: Skills training, basic hygiene training, basic nutrition education and wellness training (poverty coping strategies). We commence training immediately following the start of a project and continue with training and development throughout. Whilst each project requires support from individuals, we also extend our education programmes to the communities as a whole by running community-based awareness-raising campaigns to improve behavioural change on issues relating to health and hygiene.
Education Value
Apart from providing the skills and knowledge that contribute towards the overall mental and physical well-being of a community, our education programmes also empower communities to become self-sustainable.
Specific skills training is provided on project requirements such as anthropometric surveys, nutrition surveillance, beneficiary recordings, project procurements and stock management. Through our education programmes, the community is able to coordinate, manage and sustain the project, which is vital to ensuring longterm food security and health within that community.