Liahona Children's Foundation Fieldwork

The Liahona Children’s Nutrition and Education Foundation (LCF) is an NGO dedicated to the alleviation of malnutrition and illiteracy in LDS children and their friends.  In June 2013, LCF signed a contract with the Universidad Nacional de Piura (UNP) in Piura, Peru, to collaborate on malnutrition work in that region where an estimated 50,000 children are malnourished.  The contract envisions providing nutritional support to 2000 malnourished children in three diverse communities over a period of three years, with hope to expand coverage as funding allows.  As part of that contract, we are pleased to invite students and professors to consider the following opportunities:

• Two funded master’s thesis/projects, including a $500/month stipend with paid flights and room/board, from a semester minimum to a full year maximum
• One funded Doctoral project (or university professor research project), including $1500/month with paid flights and room/board.  Doctoral thesis would preferentially involve either: 
• A comparison of the effect of different nutritional supplementation and/or a local “kitchen”-based option where the parents bring the children to a kitchen daily for lunch.
• Development of a nutritional supplement for country-wide use in Peru using the specifications (but not manufacturing process) for the failed “Vaso de Leche” program.
• Unfunded opportunities also available for undergraduate, masters, and doctoral students.

Many other research or service projects are possible and will be considered. Other duties, theses or projects may include:

• ·      Writing grant applications in order to obtain nutritional supplements for the malnourished children
• ·      Giving direction to the implementation of the project on the ground at the local health centers and governmental agencies responsible for same and direct participation via working hands-on with children and families.
• ·      Working with UNP School of Medicine faculty to oversee the project
• ·      Working with the 30 or so LDS stake-based projects in Peru, Ecuador, Guatemala and Cambodia which are currently serving 1500 children for nutritional support and elementary education.
• ·      Development of inclusion/exclusion criteria and nutritional supplement dose for different levels/type of malnutrition.
• ·      Development of educational materials for use with families and coordinators (or promoters) related to family nutrition and hygiene.
• ·      Conduct dietary analysis of families in different areas to compare/contrast and provide recommendations to improve local available nutritional sources.
• ·      Development and implementation of a program to care for moderate/severe acute malnutrition (MAM/SAM) in the community and stake-based programs.
• ·      Participation in fund-raising and awareness activities on behalf of children from either community or stake-based projects, including documentation of malnutrition problem and development and maintenance of social media/website related to the projects.
• ·      Examining determinants of malnutrition and poverty outcomes
• ·      Recommendation/selection of nutritional supplements comparing price, value, availability, stability, and palatability, and determining best distribution method(s) of same.
• ·      Determining/evaluating children not attending elementary school with recommendations to improve same and causal factors.
• ·      Presentations to government agencies, NGOs, political bodies, and universities in Peru.
• ·      If in funded position, supervise/receive other students working with the project and provide orientation and assistance.

LDS standards (aka BYU Honor Code standards) must be maintained by applicant during time working with LCF.  Spanish-speaking preferred; if not Spanish-speaking, must be willing to cover cost of translation.  Due to work with children, applicants will need to undergo an appropriate background check at their expense.

Applicants must have university affiliation and be enrolled in a university course to apply.  Those accepted for paid opportunities will be paid through their school or department. All applications will be reviewed by the LCF selection committee in the US.

The President of Peru recently signed a collaborative agreement with a conglomerate of universities from the State of Utah—this contract can be seen in part as an extension of that agreement.

Please feel free to pass this invitation on to other potentially interested parties.

For more information or to apply or for questions, please contact our selection team: Alberto Puertas MS, BYU Counseling/Internships 801-422-9074 or 801-802-0576 alberto_puertas@byu.edu, Polly Sheffield MD, MPH, Pediatrician, BYU Student Health Center/MTC, Sara Walker MPH, Washington DC, International Medical Corps, Brad Walker MD, MPH, GPM&PH, LA County/Altamed