ACORD-IPROSARUDE: The Nkuriza Project with objectives and missions for the well-being of the Burundian population

The ACORD-IPROSARUDE Group has signed a Contract No. MSPLS/NKURIZA/S/50/2023 of partnership with the MSPLS/NKURIZA Project for the implementation of integrated community-based nutrition and family planning interventions in the two provinces of Cibitoke and Bubanza. Thus, on March 29, 2023, a workshop was organized in Bubanza province with the aim of inducting the main stakeholders and agreeing on the approaches and modalities of collaboration for the implementation of activities.

The mandate of the Cluster under this contract is to support the implementation of community-based interventions defined in the first component which is: “Community-based nutrition interventions for women of childbearing age and children under 2 years of age (first 1000 days) as well as the use of family planning services in the project intervention areas as well as communication activities for social and behavioral change”.

For the aspects related to nutrition sensitive and specific interventions, Dr. Joseph Bigirimana, Legal Representative of Iprosarude, explains that the mission aims at achieving specific objectives among others the improvement of the demand and use of essential nutrition services, the development of nutrition activities focused on the period of opportunity of the first 1000 days of life, Strengthening the capacities of the health centers for the supervision of community actors as well as ensuring food security, access to drinking water and basic sanitation facilities for the most vulnerable households, including pregnant and breastfeeding women and children under 5 years of age, through nutrition-sensitive community initiatives.

For aspects related to reproductive health, according to Ms. Alice Harushimana, Director of the organization ACORD, adds that the mission aims to improve access to reproductive health services in order to reduce the birth rate in Burundi, significantly reduce barriers to demand for family planning services and strengthen innovations to improve the distribution of contraceptives in the communities.

In the framework of this Nkuriza project, behavior change communication has not been set aside. The activities planned within this framework will help improve the level of knowledge and skills of community actors on communication for social and behavioral change for the promotion of nutrition and reproductive health, capacity building of community actors in interpersonal and group communication, negotiation, social mobilization and advocacy to ensure the participation of young people (in and out of school) and associations representing them in activities to promote social and behavioral change in the areas of nutrition and reproductive health.

It should be noted that the stakeholders involved in the Nkuriza project are members of the PPSAN, FPs from the BPS, Heads of Health Districts and FPs, Communal Administrators, Heads of services of the BPEAE, Antenna of the Plan, Directors of Communal Hospitals, Representatives of Religious Denominations, Provincial Commissioner of the Police and journalists .

                                                                                                                    E.Allickan Niragira