CARITAS EXPANDED AND IMPROVED FEEDING PROGRAM

EVALUATION COVERS THE PERIOD FROM 4/78 TO 10/79 AND IS BASED ON MEETINGS WITH KEY PROJECT PERSONNEL, QUESTIONNAIRE REVIEW, AND ONSITE VISITS. DUE TO UNFORESEEN DIFFICULTIES ENCOUNTERED BY CARITAS IN EXPANDING THEIR ADMINISTRATIVE CAPACITY, SUBSTANTIAL PROGRESS WAS NOT MADE UNTIL 9/78. DURING 1979, CARITAS MANAGED NEARLY 1,500 PROJECT PROGRAMS, SEVERAL OF WHICH WERE EXPANDED AND IMPROVED. THE NUMBER OF BENEFICIARIES REACHED INCREASED FROM 275,000 TO 470,000. THE LARGEST EXPANSION OCCURRED IN FOOD FOR WORK (FFW) PROGRAMS IN RURAL AREAS (WHERE THE MAJORITY OF FFW PROGRAMS ARE CONDUCTED). THE FFW PROGRAMS SUCCEEDED IN PROVIDING WHEAT AND CORN FLOUR, OATMEAL, TRIGOR, AND OIL TO LABORERS IN EXCHANGE FOR CONSTRUCTION OF ROADS, POLICE AND HEALTH POSTS, SCHOOLS, CHURCHES, RESERVOIRS, ETC. OTHER RURAL PROGRAMS INVOLVED CONSTRUCTION OF IRRIGATION CANALS, CLASSROOMS, COMMUNITY CENTERS, POLICE POSTS, AND POTABLE WATER PROJECTS. THE EXPANSION IN URBAN AREAS MAINLY INVOLVED MATERNAL/CHILD HEALTH (MCH) PROGRAMS. IN ADDITION TO FOOD DISTRIBUTION, THE MCH CENTERS PROVIDED MEDICAL CARE; AND PARENTHOOD, HYGIENE, AND NUTRITION EDUCATION. CONSUMPTION AND HEALTH HABITS IMPROVED BUT LACK OF SUFFICIENT WATER HAMPERED GREATER IMPROVEMENT. AT ONE CENTER, 80% OF THE CHILDREN GAINED WEIGHT SINCE PROGRAM INITIATION; AND THE NUMBER OF PARASITIC CHILDREN WAS GREATLY REDUCED FROM 81/100 TO ONLY 8/100. AN ANALYSIS MADE OF THE EATING HABITS OF THE SURVEYED BENEFICIARIES SHOWED AN UNBALANCED DIET WITH A PREDOMINANCE OF CARBOHYDRATES, LOW CONSUMPTION OF ANIMAL PROTEIN, INSUFFICIENT CONSUMPTION OF GREEN VEGETABLES, AND AN ALMOST TOTAL ABSENCE OF FRUIT. THE PROJECT WAS EXECUTED IN RESPONSE TO THE ALARMING MALNUTRITION RATE. SEVERAL ACTION RECOMMENDATIONS WERE INCLUDED IN THE AREAS OF NUTRITION, FOOD DISTRIBUTION PROCEDURES, PROGRAM COORDINATION, AND RECIPIENT AND PROGRAM SELECTION.