this wednesday (2/8), the state government, through the Social Assistance Secretariat (SAS), carried out an act of adhesion of eight municipalities in the region of Passo Fundo to the RS Nutrir Infâncias pilot project. On Thursday (3/8), ten other municipalities in the region of Frederico Westphalen signed the term.
In this pilot phase, 18 municipalities that run the Happy Child program, in Functional Regions 7 and 9, will participate, with 2,450 people benefiting. Through RS Nutrir Infâncias, a diagnosis will be made of the dietary profile of people in the poverty and extreme poverty range with pregnant women and/or children aged 0 to 6 years. Families with up to four people will receive a basic basket. Those with more than four people will win two baskets. There will be a maximum of three bimonthly deliveries until February 2024.
By the end of August, questionnaires from the Brazilian Scale of Food Insecurity (Ebia) will be applied by the visitors to the families to define the food profile in the households. Based on the responses, from September to February, food assistance will be carried out with the delivery of basic food baskets donated by the State to the municipality. Approximately 15,000 units will be delivered.
The head of SAS, Beto Fantinel, highlighted the significance of the project. “With this work, we are going to measure the impact of food security on these families already served by Criança Feliz. Based on the results, we will create a public policy with the delivery of adequate stimuli and conditions for healthy development. With that, we are moving towards a future, the best possible, for early childhood in our State”, she emphasized.
Implemented by the SAS Early Childhood Care and Food Safety departments, the objective is to provide temporary food assistance to families assisted by the Happy Child program, encouraging the achievement of the program’s goals. The goals are in line with promoting adherence to the National Food and Nutritional Security System (Sisan) and the production of strategic information for the State Policy on Food and Nutritional Security.
The director of the Department of Attention to Early Childhood, Kênia Fontoura, said she was satisfied with the acceptance of the municipalities. “We had a great feedback and with that we started the project successfully. We are confident in the results we are looking for. We will have solid data to assess the food security of the families participating in the Happy Child program”, she said.
On behalf of the first eight municipalities that joined the RS Nutrir Infâncias pilot project, the secretary of Labor and Social Assistance of Marau, Paulo Cezar Dal paz, spoke out. “It is very important that we adhere to this project that will help us to complement the work that we have already developed in our municipality, in favor of food security”, he said.
In-person training will be carried out for visitors and supervisors in the region and awareness of municipal managers for the application of Ebia questionnaires.
The Director of Food Security and Combating Hunger at SAS, Naiane Doto, spoke about the questionnaire. “It is a simple scale, with few questions, but very sensitive. With the bond that the visitor has with the family, we believe that the information will be the most truthful. We want the questionnaire to be applied in the best possible way with families”, she explained.
In addition, throughout the project period, technical support will be provided for municipalities to join Sisan. In this first meeting, 33 visitors received instructions. Technical assistance will also be offered to municipalities for the construction of their Food Security Plans. State Law 12.861/2007 creates the State System for Sustainable Food and Nutrition Security. Each municipality must draw up its own plan.
The municipalities participating in the pilot plan are: Passo Fundo, Soledade, Lagoa Vermelha, Barros Cassal, Carazinho, Fontoura Xavier, Marau, Espumoso, Ametista do Sul, Frederico Westphalen, Planalto, Iraí, Redentora, Constantina, Seberi, Coronel Bicaco, Palmeira das Missions and Lieutenant Portela.
Text: Ascom SAS
Edition: Secom
