Within the USDA McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition program, Mercy Corps, in partnership with the Agency of Preschool Education, conducted training for 56 preschool nurses from Surkhandarya Region and the Republic of Karakalpakstan.
Mercy Corps conducted the training with three cohorts, on March 10-18, May 1-6, and May 10-16, 2023. The training was held at the Center for Advanced Training of Nurses located in the Institute for Retraining and Advanced Training of Preschool Directors and Specialists in Tashkent. Previously, Mercy Corps fully equipped the training space to include a simulation center modeled after a standard state preschool clinic, resources for practicing first aid, and a classroom area for theoretical and practical learning.
The training covered essential topics related to early childhood health including: promoting personal hygiene, identifying signs of illness, assessing the severity of children in emergency conditions, preventative healthcare such as vaccines, forming healthy eating habits, and recognizing signs of child abuse. First aid specialists from the Red Crescent Society of Uzbekistan also provided two full day sessions on first aid. Furthermore, the training prepared preschool nurses on how to collaborate and share information with parents to promote the well-being of preschool children. All participants from preschools in Karakalpakstan received a handbook with practical information covering these topics, which was translated by Mercy Corps into the Karakalpak language.
“We are very grateful to international NGO Mercy Corps for organizing this training from March 10 to March 18 for the preschool staff - nurses. During this training, we gained a lot of knowledge and skills. Many thanks to the trainers for this too. We hope to use the knowledge we have learned to contribute to the healthy development of the ‘little stars’ [children] of our country” said Makhsumova Shahlo, the nurse of preschool No. 9, Kumkurgan District.
Mercy Corps, in partnership with the Agency of Preschool Education under the Ministry of Preschool and School Education, implements the USDA-funded McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition program at state preschools in the Republic of Karakalpakstan and Surkhandarya region. The school feeding program focuses on the achievement of a number of goals, such as improving the technical base and infrastructure of state preschools in rural areas, contributing to the development of children’s early literacy, healthy lifestyle and hygiene skills, providing trainings for teachers, nurses, cooks, as well as mentorship for preschool teachers to improve their pedagogical skills and thus promote their professional growth.
