Hello all,
After a slow start, my practicum is taking a clearer form and a firmer shape. It involves working with a small group of residents in a low-income housing assistance unit in Mashpee, MA. The place is called Mashpee Village(http://www.mashpeevillage.com/ ). It is an initiative of a non-profit organization called The Community Builders, Inc ( http://tcbinc.org/ ) . For this practicum, I am working with the resident services coordinator of Mashpee Village (Karen) and another consultant (Mary Jane) who is consulting with Mashpee Village management to improve the life-skills for these residents. I am near the end of my needs assessment phase. So far, the needs that stand out can be grouped into three categories are:
1. Knowledge – General Nutrition Knowledge
2. Self-Efficacy – Skills to cook healthy meals and shop for healthy foods in
low-budget
3. Self-Reliance – Skills to garden vegetables and access existing local food
resources available for low-income households.
One of the key components of the needs assessment is participatory needs assessment where the members of the group who will the target population will actually be part of the decision-makers in coming up with the nutritional needs and prioritizing the goals and objectives. The technique I am using is ‘photo voice’ (.http://heb.sagepub.com/content/24/3/369.short ) Three cameras will be loaned to the group next week so that that can take pictures and share their stories around of both pride and need around food issues. The results of the photo voice project will help to prioritize the needs and goal& objectives of the program. I will keep you posted next week as to how the photo voice project went and try to upload some of the pictures and stories.
The idea is to see how these individuals from low-income households can become more self-reliant with regard to food security as well as gaining more nutritional knowledge and skills. As we carry fresh memories of celebrating Independence day yesterday with friends and families, the goal of this practicum is to see if this group of individuals can become less dependent and more self-reliant. The word depend is derived from Middle French word dependre (15th century), meaning “to be attached to as a condition or cause.” Food insecurity is keeping this group of individuals attached to systems of dependence. Hopefully, the practicum can do some good to make them more independent! I am positive that, personally for me, it is going to a learning curve that will be rewarding and fulfilling.
Until next week,
Kumara