​​A new behavioural change communication (BCC) campaign is currently underway in Ghana to encourage schoolchildren to eat nutritious meals and to take on good hygiene habits. 

As part of the campaign, representatives from 13 NGOs in Ghana were recently trained by Imperial College London's Partnership for Child Development​ (PCD) to deliver good nutrition and hygiene messages across 395 communities in Ghana - targeting community events, churches, mosques and other locations.

During the training PCD outlined how materials such as t-shirts and posters should be used by campaign volunteers in communities to encourage nutritious eating habits, diet diversification and good health and hygiene of schoolchildren and their families.  ​

By taking a Training of Trainers (ToTs) approach the lessons learnt by the NGO representatives are to be taught to community based volunteers who will spread nutrition messages to a vast audience across the 395 communities. 

The workshops also looked at furthering the campaign through media engagement and how NGOs should report back on campaign outcomes for enhanced learning on what works and what areas are in need of strengthening, so that good nutrition and hygiene messages can be promoted in the best way possible. 

Next Steps

In addition to targeting the community, PCD is also carrying out the BCC campaign at the school level where selected teachers will be trained and equipped with influencing manuals and wall charts. Educational jingles are also to be aired on selected radio stations throughout the project’s districts.  ​

The BCC campaign feeds into Ghana's Home Grown School Feeding ​(HGSF) programme which sees that food for school meals is procured from local smallholder farmers - enabling children to be better able to learn in schools and farmers to be secured of a livelihood.