Petya Atanasova- a PhD student from Imperial College London, working on the determinants of children nutritional choices & behavioral interventions for food behavior change, visited study sites in Sri Lanka.

During my stay in Sri Lanka, I had the opportunity to visit a Happy Village Plus intervention site in an urban area and a surveillance data collection site in a rural area.

Happy Village Plus Intervention Site Visit
Meeting the key field workers and volunteers behind one of the Happy Village Plus (HVP) intervention sites was enlightening as they shared their methods of intervention implementation, data collection, participants engagement as well as challenges faced on the ground. Their passion for the wellbeing of the community was evident in their enthusiasm as they shared their stories. As we walked through the intervention site, I had the opportunity to interact with some of the participants who showed us how they have implemented some of the HVP guidelines. Notably, the participants emphasized how the program encourages them to make better decisions about their health but also provides a supportive community they felt part of.

Photo1: Happy Village Plus Intervention Site – discussing intervention implementation and data collection.

Photo2: Happy Village Intervention Site, some key health message displayed on participants doors as we walked through the intervention site.

Surveillance Data Collection Site Visit
My other visit was to a remote rural area where a dedicated local team was working on the collection of surveillance data. The local team guided me through the different data collection processes and stations. Despite the challenges posed by the rural setting, the team was well organized and equipped. There was a queue of participants showcasing keen interest to be part of the surveillance data collection.

Photo3/4: Surveillance Data Collection Site