Learning with Care Groups through Human-Centered Design in Zimbabwe
Published By: USAID Advancing Nutrition
Publication Date: January 2024
USAID Advancing Nutrition partnered with Amalima Loko, a USAID Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance-funded Resilience Food Security Activity, to facilitate a participatory design process and to test transferable solutions to improve the quality of peer support groups using human-centered design. This brief shares prototypes and lessons learned from the process with Amalima Loko participants that may be useful to adapt to other contexts by implementers aiming to strengthen their own groups.
This resource and the description above were developed by the amazing communications and knowledge management team of USAID Advancing Nutrition, and are provided here with thanks to the Internet Archive project's Wayback Machine.
Associated Resources
The Learning Brief summarizes the research process and findings of a co-design process with Care Group members of the Amalima Loko program in Zimbabwe. Together USAID Advancing Nutrition, Amalima Loko, Kgosto Development Trust (Zimbabwe-based Research Firm), Munyaradzi Chinguwa (Independent Human Centered Designer), Care Group members, and their communities developed four solutions to strengthen facilitation skills, technical knowledge, member attendance, and social support among groups.
Simple Job Aid for Reflection Session
This tool provides an adaptable template for facilitating a care group meeting to reflect on behaviors tried or discussed in the previous module or meeting. The template includes welcome exercises, illustrative discussion prompts, and facilitation tips. It was designed to be used by lead mothers.
Drama Development Guide
This tool provides two adaptable templates for facilitating the development and
optional performance of an original drama based on care group member experiences and priorities. The guide was designed to be used by lead mothers.
Look-and-Learn Guide
This tool shares tips for preparing lead mothers and facilitating a look-and-learn. During these care group meetings, a hosting lead mother and promoter invite visiting lead mothers to observe a care group session. After the meeting, the lead mothers and promoter debrief to share recommendations and reflections on the session. The guide was designed to be used by a hosting lead mother and/or a promoter.
Commitment Card
This tool is composed of two files: 1) guidance for using a commitment card in care group meetings and home visits and an adaptable template for creating a commitment card, and 2) an illustrative commitment card and lead mother monitoring form developed around the Amalima Loko program. The aim of the prototype is to support family engagement and support for recommended behaviors. The process involves inviting a member of a caregiver’s household to serve as their commitment partner. The guide was designed for use by lead mothers and the illustrative card was designed to be used by caregivers.
Riley's Contribution
Riley led the development of these deliverables of USAID Advancing Nutrition as an Activity Manager. She provided program management and collaborated with a cross-functional team of data collectors, technical experts, program implementers, and community members throughout the research cycle, providing technical and operations oversight, connecting stakeholders, and reporting to USAID.
Project Information & Citation
About USAID Advancing Nutrition
USAID Advancing Nutrition is the Agency’s flagship multi-sectoral nutrition project, led by JSI Research & Training Institute, Inc. (JSI), and a diverse group of experienced partners. Launched in September 2018, USAID Advancing Nutrition implements nutrition interventions across sectors and disciplines for USAID and its partners. The project’s multi-sectoral approach draws together global nutrition experience to design, implement, and evaluate programs that address the root causes of malnutrition. Committed to using a systems approach, USAID Advancing Nutrition strives to sustain positive outcomes by building local capacity, supporting behavior change, and strengthening the enabling environment to save lives, improve health, build resilience, increase economic productivity, and advance development.
Recommended Citation
USAID Advancing Nutrition. 2024. Brief: Learning with Care Groups through
Human-Centered Design in Zimbabwe. Arlington, VA: USAID Advancing Nutrition.
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