School Weekly Iron and Folic Acid Supplementation (S-WIFS)Project
The School Weekly Iron and Folic Acid Supplementation (S-WIFS) Project aims to reduce anemia and improve the nutritional health of adolescent schoolgirls in seven provinces of Afghanistan.
Funded by UNICEF and implemented by Bakhter Development Network (BDN), the project supports weekly iron and folic acid supplementation for girls aged 10–13 years attending grades 4, 5, and 6.
The programme also focuses on teacher training, school-based nutrition education, and monitoring to improve awareness of anemia, encourage healthy dietary practices, and strengthen the delivery of nutrition interventions in schools.
Project Information
Project Name: School Weekly Iron and Folic Acid Supplementation (S-WIFS)
Location: Kabul, Parwan, Kapisa, Panjshir, Paktia, Paktika and Khost, Afghanistan
Implementing Organization: Bakhter Development Network (BDN)
Project Period: 16 November 2025 – 15 November 2026
Donor: United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)
Project Reference: AFG/PCA2019134/PD20251564
Project Objectives and Activities
The primary objective of the S-WIFS Project is to reduce anemia among adolescent schoolgirls aged 10–13 years through weekly iron and folic acid supplementation and school-based nutrition education.
Key Activities:
• Weekly Supplementation: Support the provision of weekly iron and folic acid supplements to eligible schoolgirls.
• Teacher Training: Strengthen teachers’ knowledge and capacity to support programme implementation.
• Nutrition Education: Raise awareness among students about anemia prevention and healthy dietary practices.
• Programme Monitoring: Conduct monitoring activities to support effective implementation and identify challenges.
• School-Based Coordination: Support coordination among relevant education and programme stakeholders in implementing the supplementation activities.
Target Beneficiaries
The S-WIFS Project primarily targets adolescent girls aged 10–13 years attending grades 4, 5, and 6 in participating schools across the seven targeted provinces.
Through weekly iron and folic acid supplementation and school-based nutrition education, the project aims to improve awareness of anemia prevention and support better nutritional health among participating students.
Teachers also benefit from capacity-building activities designed to strengthen their role in supporting the school-based programme.
Key Nutrition Services
The S-WIFS Project provides a focused package of school-based nutrition interventions to support adolescent girls’ health and well-being.
Key Services Include:
• Iron and Folic Acid Supplementation: Weekly supplementation for eligible adolescent schoolgirls.
• Anemia Prevention Education: Information about anemia and the importance of adequate iron and folic acid intake.
• Healthy Dietary Practices: School-based nutrition education to encourage healthier food choices.
• Teacher Capacity Building: Training and technical support to strengthen programme delivery.
• Monitoring and Follow-Up: Monitoring programme activities to support implementation quality.
Capacity Strenghtening and School Outreach
The S-WIFS Project strengthens school-based nutrition interventions by supporting teachers and relevant programme stakeholders with training and implementation guidance.
Teacher capacity-building activities help improve understanding of weekly iron and folic acid supplementation, anemia prevention, and the importance of healthy nutrition among adolescent girls.
The programme also emphasizes regular monitoring and coordination to strengthen implementation, identify operational challenges, and support consistent delivery of activities across targeted schools.
Through school-based nutrition education, the project aims to increase students’ awareness of anemia and encourage healthier dietary practices.
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