Départements du Nord-Bénin/Integrating nutrition and food security into PDC and PAI: SEs and RDLPs in northern communes receive training

From September 23 to 26, 2024, the Association Nationale des Communes du Bénin (ANCB) and Care International Benin Togo organized a regional workshop in Parakou to popularize and incorporate the Food and Nutrition Security Integration Score (SISAN) into Communal Development Plans and Annual Investment Plans (PAI).

Organized as part of the implementation of the CASCADE project, the workshop was attended by the Executive Secretaries and Local Development and Planning Officers (RDLP) of the communes in the four northern departments of Alibori, Atacora, Borgou and Donga.partements du Nord, namely Alibori, Atacora, Borgou and Donga, introduced participants to the SISAN tool and encouraged them to integrate it into their communes' programming documents.

The issue of nutrition and food security is one of the main concerns of the Association Nationale des Communes du Bénin (ANCB). With this in mind, it organized, in collaboration with Care International Benin-Togo, a regional workshop for the Executive Secretaries and Local Development and Planning Officers (RDPL) of the communes in the departments of Ouémé, Plateau, Zou and Collines. The work took place from 1ᵉʳ to October 3, 2024 in the city of Porto-Novo notably around strategies to popularize and take into account the Food and Nutritional Security Integration Score (SISAN).

By organizing this workshop with Care International Bénin-Togo, the Association Nationale des Communes du Bénin (ANCB) is once again demonstrating its commitment to the well-being of the populations of Benin's 77 communes. Organized as part of the implementation of the CASCADE project, this workshop, which follows those held in Dassa-Zoumé for the Prefects and in Parakou for the Northern departments, aims in particular to mobilize all local players to integrate the Integration Score and Food and Nutrition Security (SISAN) into Communal Development Plans and Annual Investment Plans (PAI).

"At ANCB, we are convinced that development starts with people, and with people from the moment they are conceived, which is why nutrition is of paramount importance to us. This is why the ANCB, since the PNC, PMASN and PNDPE programs, has always worked with the Beninese government and its partners to ensure that nutrition is an important issue taken into account by local authorities in their planning. We are here to discover and appropriate a tool that has already been tested in certain communes of the Atacora department", said ANCB Executive Director Sègla LIHOUSSOU in his opening remarks.

This tool will enable us "to take better account of the theme of nutrition and food in our development actions, especially now that we are on the eve of drawing up the eve of the elaboration of Communal Development Plans and Annual Investment Plans at the level of our various communes", added the DE.

Nutrition and food security, at the heart of the Government's Action Program

In line with the priorities of President Patrice Talon's government, the issue of nutrition and food is at the forefront of the authorities' thinking at every level, to guarantee better living conditions for the population in all communes, reminded Émile GNONLONFOUN, Director of Cabinet for the Minister of Decentralization and Local Governance.

According to him, this issue "is one of the priorities of the Government, which has made it a golden point in its Action Program. This workshop follows on from two that we have already held, one in Dassa-Zoumé and the other in Parakou, to discuss the popularization and penetration of the Integration Score.rennisation of the Food and Nutritional Security Integration Score in our Communal Development Plans and Annual Investment Programs", said the DC.

After these three (03) workshops, the now-equipped SEs and RDLPs are expected to achieve effective and remarkable results in the field in terms of food and nutrition.

"The aim of the workshop is therefore to build the capacities of the players you are, to ensure that nutrition is taken into account in our action plans, and to improve food security in our country.improve food security in our country, and help reduce malnutrition among women of childbearing age and children", insisted the Cabinet Director.

Source: lemondelocal.com/