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ACE Students and Faculty Assess Nutrition and Food Security in Sierra Leone

In January 2010, University of Illinois students traveled to Sierra Leone to participate in a short course on international nutrition and food security held at Njala University, and to assist in assessing the nutritional needs of several rural communities in the West African country.

Additional information may be found in the Department's newsletter, the press release and the News-Gazette article.

Jennie and Steven (part of the Illinois team) on the ferry from Lungi. The Illinois team left Chicago on Monday January 4 and arrived in Sierra Leone on Tuesday via Brussels. On the 6th the group traveled to Freetown and proceeded to Njala University’s Njala campus.

From the left: Andrew Hauck (PhD student in Crop Sciences), Adam Austin (MS ACE student), Hannah Roosevelt (BS Dietetics and Human Nutrition student), Dr. Barbara Yudell (U of I alum in Nutritional Sciences who served as a course faculty person), Yvonne Griswold (MS ACE student).

Yvonne Griswold, ACE student, with a new friend on the ferry.

Dr. Abu Sesay, Vice-Chancellor at Njala University, delivered an address to the opening ceremony. The short course was covered nationally in Sierra Leone.

Opening Ceremony group photo (1 of 2).

Opening Ceremony group photo (2 of 2).

Both groups are working together to develop a set of questions for the nutrition assessment.

Njala participants (faculty, staff and selected students) worked with the Illinois participants on a group nutrition assessment project in nearby villages.

The Illinois team and other course participants visited the City of Bo and met with the Mayor, Dr. Wusu Sannoh. The group also visited the Bennimix baby food company and toured their plant.

Students are working on presentations on the porch of the SLARI guest house canteen.

Dr. Paul McNamara (Agricultural & Consumer Economics and Division of Nutritional Sciences, University of Illinois) speaks on principles of critical thinking for evaluating nutrition programs.

Dr. Saweda Liverpool (PhD in ACE) of the International Food Policy Research Institute (Nigeria office) teaches on food security.

Hannah Roosevelt and Adam Austin, students, speak on nutrition and development.

McNamara with Sheku and the other Animal Science faculty and instructors.

Mrs. Tijani and Sam and Adam Austin, ACE student.

The local school sent dancers and drummers on the last day at the closing ceremony for the Joint Short Course.

Yvonne Griswold (MS ACE student) and Andrew Hauck (MS Crops Sciences student), cycle with the enumerator to a village to conduct a rapid nutrition survey assessment in the Kamasundu area .

Dr. Barbara Yudell gets exercise on the way to field some surveys. The group spent three nights in Kamasundu doing the nutrition survey for Village Hope.

Adam Austin, ACE student, and a new friend in Kamasundu.

Yvonne Griswold, ACE student, presents the data concerning sanitation and water quality to Dr. Jon Bart and to Abi of Village Hope.

Hannah Roosevelt, U of I student, explains the findings of the survey to Dr. Bart.

Dr. Paul McNamara meets with Joseph Bahsoon and Philip Kanu of the Bennimix Company on Sunday (January 10) afternoon in Freetown.

The Illinois participants share a final meal together, on Kissy Road near the ferry terminal in Freetown.

The group waits for the ferry to Lungi with Sam and Lamin, representatives of Njala University. Good bye Sierra Leone!

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