Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
References
Awards
Publications
International nutrition and health documentaries
Accomplishments
Timeline
Generic

Hilda Kawuki

Nutrition Programme Officer
Kampala,203

Summary

Committed and experienced Nutrition Specialist with a strong background in managing and implementing high impact nutrition programs in challenging environments over the past 20 years in both developmental and humanitarian contexts. Proven track record in improving regional and community nutrition outcomes through strategic planning, capacity building, evidence generation and effective program management, in Child Wasting (reduction of malnutrition from 10% to 3.4%), Nutrition in Early Childhood, Maternal Infant and Young Child and Adolescent nutrition (scaling up nutrition and health xxx to cover 15,000 households) and impact of Nutrition governance areas through district local government multi-sectoral areas, in collaboration with national and sub national level governments, UN agencies, non-governmental organisations and the Private Sector. Results-driven nutrition professional with proven track record of creating effective dietary plans and promoting healthy lifestyles. Known for collaborating seamlessly with healthcare teams to deliver comprehensive nutritional solutions. Reliable and adaptable, ensuring consistency in achieving desired health outcomes while maintaining high standards.

Overview

36
36
years of professional experience
9
9
years of post-secondary education
3
3
Languages

Work History

Nutrition Specialist

UNICEF Uganda
11.2017 - Current
  • General role: Supporting UNICEF’s nutrition programme in Northern Uganda, West Nile and Mid-West Uganda in the development and planning of high impact nutrition interventions at Sub National level, in both refugee and non-refugee hosting districts. In charge of programme management and management of nutrition staff (two consultants and a nutrition officer) at sub national level, ensuring monitoring and delivery of results, supporting technical and operational support to programme implementation; ensuring networking and partnership building is upheld, supporting knowledge management piece at zonal office level and provision of technical capacity building for district health teams, health workers, community workers and office staff. Key thematic areas supported include Child wasting (early detection and treatment), Nutrition in Early Childhood (Stunting and Child food poverty), Maternal Infant and Young Child and Adolescent nutrition(MYCAN) (including school age nutrition) and Nutrition governance, in collaboration with country office and zonal office nutrition, health and WASH colleagues.
  • Stretch assignment opportunity: Supporting Stunting and Maternal Nutrition Nutrition Officer portfolio (Kampala, March – May 2025)
  • Key duties and responsibilities: In the West Nile and Mid-West refugee-hosting districts and Northern Uganda (Acholi and Lango sub regions).
  • Contributing to and supporting the preparation, design and updating of the situation analysis for the country programmes using experience and situation on-ground at sub national level (nutrition sector) to ensure comprehensive and current data on maternal and child nutrition is available to guide policy development, and the design and management of nutrition programmes/projects.
  • Participating in strategic country programme discussions on the planning of nutrition programmes/projects. Providing input to national level technical workshops (e.g. Revision of nutrition guidelines, revisions of health information systems (nutrition context))
  • Providing relevant experience/inputs to nutrition programme proposals with country office nutrition colleagues, ensuring alignment with UNICEF’s Strategic Plans, Country Programme, and refugee humanitarian nexus, integration with the UN Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF) and government strategies/policies.
  • Work closely and collaboratively with colleagues and partners to discuss solutions for implementing government nutrition strategies and methodologies, for sustainable results.
  • Providing district local government district health teams and implementing with technical and operational support throughout all stages of programming processes to ensure integration and harmonization of programmes/projects with other UNICEF sectors (e.g. Child Survival and development areas) and achievement of results as planned and allocated.
  • Participating in monitoring and evaluation exercises (joint UN, government and internal), programme reviews and annual reviews with government and other counterparts to assess progress, identify gaps, and to determine required action and interventions to achieve results. In addition, to actively monitor programmes and project through field visits etc., identifying bottlenecks and potential problems to make effective timely decisions.
  • Monitoring UNICEF nutrition programme resources (financial, administrative and other assets) confirming compliance with organizational rules, regulations, procedures, donor commitments, and standards of accountability. Ensuring timely reporting and liquidation of resources.
  • Supporting preparation of regular and mandated programme/project reports for management, donors and partners to keep them informed of programme progress.
  • Participating in response to nutrition in emergencies (South Sudan refugee influx in West Nile, Lamwo and Kiryandongo, Kikuube refugee influx), supporting integrated nutrition and health response during Covid pandemic, supporting preparedness initiatives for programme development, joint refugee contingency planning to respond to emergencies at sub national level.
  • Building and sustaining effective close working partnerships with nutrition sector district local government, UN counterparts (UNHCR, WFP) and sub-national stakeholders through regular active sharing of information and knowledge through nutrition technical working groups and health and nutrition sector meetings at district and regional level.
  • Participating and/or representing UNICEF in inter-agency discussions at settlement and district level, ensuring that UNICEF’s position, interests and priorities are fully considered and integrated in settlement or district planning.
  • Technically capacity building and guidance to health and nutrition workers at sub national level (district local government nutrition focal points, district nutrition coordination committees, regional referral hospital nutritionists, building capacity of implementing partners in technical nutrition areas, information systems and other forms of programming. In addition, sharing practices and knowledge learned with nutrition stakeholders.
  • Supporting management of UNICEF/MoH nutrition supplies: UNICEF integration process into government/National Medical Stores distribution, monitoring of two monthly distribution, status of supplies, shortages and reporting on status of sub national level storage levels at regional referral hospitals and district stores to prevent wastage, expiries and efficient use of supplies. Together with implementing partners, assessing gaps in districts’ knowledge of supplies management and supporting supplies audits in the region.
  • Stretch assignment opportunity: Supporting Stunting and Maternal Nutrition Nutrition Officer portfolio (Kampala, March – May 2025)

National Nutrition Manager (for Country Nutrition Programmes)

Concern Worldwide, Uganda
05.2010 - 06.2017
  • General role: Overseeing development and implementation of Concern’s country nutrition programs, management and provision of technical capacity building of staff, monitoring and evaluation of progress as well as contributing to the overall strategic direction of the Concern’s nutrition programming in Uganda.
  • Key duties and responsibilities: In the West Nile and Mid-West regions:
  • Responsible for implementing, managing, monitoring, evaluating, and reporting on progress of the emergency nutrition programme in seven West Nile and Mid-West regions’ emergency districts during the South Sudanese refugee crisis (2014 – 2017), in partnership with UNICEF.
  • Providing direct technical supervision, capacity building and guidance to over 20 emergency and development project staff; ensuring delivery and management of interventions in integrated maternal, infant and child nutrition programme activities. Responsible for ensuring sustainable results based on partner-donor work plans, allocated budget and donor strategic plans and accountability framework.
  • Ensuring strong partnership and coordination of activities between donors, district health management teams, refugee settlement officials and other agencies.
  • Ensuring all aspects of monitoring and evaluation, including research, are in line with programme time frame. In addition, to identify programme gaps, strengths/weaknesses and to identify lessons learned and best working practice for sustainability of programming.
  • Providing support to all administrative and human resource (recruitment and relevant training) aspects of the nutrition projects.
  • Responsible for routine proposal writing and overall management of project budget.
  • Providing a comprehensive exit plan and ensuring a smooth transition process and end of project handover to incoming partners at the end of the project.
  • In the Karamoja region:
  • Managing and implementation of an Integrated Management of Acute Malnutrition (IMAM) project at district level in four districts of Karamoja, partnership with UNICEF over a two-year period.
  • Managing Concern Worldwide’ s emergency nutrition using Surge approach in four districts in Karamoja over a three-year period.
  • Supported proposal writing, implementation and management of maternal child health and nutrition component of a multi-partner consortium project RWANU.
  • Providing technical nutrition backstopping and management-cover for Health and Nutrition Director on an ongoing five-year USAID-funded Health and preventative nutrition project - RWANU (Resilience through Wealth, Agriculture and Nutrition in Uganda). Alignment of programming in the consortium with two food security and livelihood partners (International NGOs) in four districts in Karamoja.
  • Providing capacity building and management of health managers and health facility coordinators responsible for the health systems strengthening aspect of the project.
  • Other:
  • Representing Concern at national and other nutrition and health forums, primarily through the Uganda Civil Society for Scaling Up Nutrition (UCCOSUN) and Ministry of Health stakeholder national technical workshops/seminars.
  • Publication: Co-wrote an international case study covering Uganda’s success in meeting international and national nutrition targets for UCCOSUN titled, ‘What Works for Nutrition
  • Stories of Success from Uganda’, October 2015
  • Publication: Co-wrote an international case study covering Uganda’s success in meeting international and national nutrition targets for UCCOSUN titled, ‘What Works for Nutrition
  • Stories of Success from Uganda’, October 2015

Programme Coordinator (Nutrition)

GOAL Ireland (Sudan programme)
Kutum, North Darfur
02.2008 - 10.2009
  • Duties and responsibilities: Strengthening the nutrition services offered to over 40,0000 moderate and severely malnourished children under five years, pregnant and lactating women in GOAL’s Public Health and Nutrition programme, using the comprehensive Community-based Management of Acute Malnutrition (CMAM) approach to manage moderate and severe acute malnutrition in Kutum town and surrounding rural areas in North Darfur.

Nutritionist (consultant)

GOAL Ireland (Uganda Programme)
Kampala, Uganda
03.2006 - 05.2006
  • oDuties and Responsibilities: Providing technical support and training for Health and Nutrition survey for consultancy in Kalongo town and two targeted IDP camps in Pader District, Northern Uganda.

Nutritionist – Assessments and Surveys, for Rapid Response Programme

GOAL Ireland (Ethiopia Programme)
Addis Ababa, Awassa, Afar, Ethiopia
05.2005 - 09.2005
  • Duties and Responsibilities: Providing technical support and training for five emergency rapid assessments and nutrition surveys in GOAL’s operational areas and other areas where emergency situations are reported.
  • Duties and Responsibilities: Participating in five multi-agency rapid assessments and nutrition surveys using standard approved Ethiopian and international methodology through: Coordinating the planning, preparation and design of each assessment and survey; managing the implementation, coordinating write-up and reporting process of rapid assessments and nutrition surveys in hot spots (areas identified with high levels of severe acute malnutrition (GAM >15%)) in Southern, Eastern and Northern regions of Ethiopia; recruiting, training, supervising and managing over 10 nutrition survey staff as well as coordinating the implementation of nutrition surveys; analysing, interpreting and writing-up of survey findings.
  • Improved clients'' overall health by developing personalized nutrition plans tailored to their needs.

Emergency Nutrition Coordinator For: Medical-Nutritional Emergency Feeding (malnutrition) Programme

COOPI (Cooperazione Internationale)
Manniema Province, Democratic Republic Of Congo (DRC)
06.2004 - 12.2004
  • Duties and responsibilities: Managing, implementing and providing budget support (over Euro 300,000) for a six-month medical-nutritional emergency feeding programme. In charge of managing and building capacity of ten local nutritionists and over 60 health workers and medical staff supervising the daily running of two Therapeutic Feeding Centres (TFPs) linked to Central hospitals and ten supplementary Feeding Centres (SFPs) with over 6000 beneficiaries for both programmes, using criteria from DRC-Ministry of Health’s PRONANUT (Programme National de Nutrition).
  • Language of instruction: French.

Nutrition Consultant For: Improving Nutritional Practices of People Living With HIV/AIDS

ACDI/VOCA
Wakiso, Luweero Districts, Uganda
12.2003 - 01.2004
  • Duties and responsibilities: Identifying existing sub-optimal food hygiene and nutritional practices in Eastern, Central and Western regions of Uganda, assessing weaknesses of nutrition Surveillance system, solving problems of inadequate use of fortified food supply, developing training manual and training materials for community nutritionists, providing technical training of five local community nutritionists and health workers in order that they in turn train 15,000 primary beneficiaries and developing recipes using food rations and formulating and implementing nutrition awareness materials for beneficiaries in regions.
  • USAID-funded programme, PL.480 Title II program

Registered Clinical Dietician

Private Hospital
Gaborone , Botswana
06.1993 - 10.2003
  • Duties and responsibilities: Responsible for setting up Dietetics unit, daily management and support to inpatients across all medical disciplines, outpatient dietetic consultations and community workshops.

Nutrition Lecturer

Institute of Health Sciences (IHS), Ministry of Health
Gaborone , Botswana
01.1991 - 01.1993
  • Duties and responsibilities: Lecturing in Community Health Nutrition to over 30 Second Year Nursing students. Course covered and training done: Nutrition for Child Growth and Development in preparation for practical work in rural areas of Botswana.

Intern

UN World Health Organisation, Nutrition Unit
Geneva, Switzerland
06.1989 - 07.1989
  • Duties and responsibilities: Assisting with research for WHO nutrition database, analysing and critiquing epidemiological data, diet and disease situations.

Education

Certificate - Project Planning and Management

Uganda Management Institute
Kampala, Uganda
01.2007 - 01.2007

Master of Medical Science (M.Med.Sci) - Human Nutrition

University of Sheffield
Sheffied, UK
01.1998 - 01.2003

Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) - Dietetics

Acadia University
Wolfville Nova Scotia Canada
01.1987 - 01.1991

Skills

Strong leadership and project management skills

Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement abilities

Proficient in IT, data analysis and evidence-based decision making

Ability to work effectively in multicultural and multidisciplinary teams

References

Harriet, Bitimwine, Health Officer, hbitimwine@unicef.org, UNICEF Arua Zonal Office, Arua

Awards

Hugh O’Flaherty International Humanitarian Award, Ireland (November, 2009)

Publications

  • 2024: Implementation research for community MIYCAN implementation through care group approach in West Nile; provision of technical support to researchers.
  • December 2021: Uganda Nutrition Supply Chain Integration : Technical support to the Pilot Nutrition Supply Chain Integration programme in West Nile, UNICEF in collaboration with Ministry of Health, National Medical Stores and District Local Governments.
  • October 2015: Carried out the research and co-wrote the Ugandan case study piece on ‘What works for Nutrition? Stories of Success from Vietnam, Uganda & Kenya’, whilst working with Concern Worldwide (and steering committee member of Uganda Civil Society for Scaling Up Nutrition [UCCOSUN]). Link to article: https://www.concern.net/sites/default/files/media/resource/what_works_for_nutrition_stories_of_success_from_vietnam_uganda_and_kenya.pdf

International nutrition and health documentaries

Provided commentary and featured in Radio and Television Ireland (RTE): Specifically; radio documentary on IMAM in Karamoja in June 2011; and TV documentary on 1,000 days approach in July 2013.

Accomplishments

PUBLICATIONS

2024: Implementation research for community MIYCAN implementation through care group approach in West Nile; provision of technical support to researchers.

December 2021: Uganda Nutrition Supply Chain Integration : Technical support to the Pilot Nutrition Supply Chain Integration programme in West Nile, UNICEF in collaboration with Ministry of Health, National Medical Stores and District Local Governments.

October 2015: Carried out the research and co-wrote the Ugandan case study piece on ‘What works for Nutrition? Stories of Success from Vietnam, Uganda & Kenya”, whilst working with Concern Worldwide (and steering committee member of Uganda Civil Society for Scaling Up Nutrition [UCCOSUN]).

AWARDS

Hugh O’Flaherty International Humanitarian Award, Ireland (November, 2009)

Timeline

Nutrition Specialist

UNICEF Uganda
11.2017 - Current

National Nutrition Manager (for Country Nutrition Programmes)

Concern Worldwide, Uganda
05.2010 - 06.2017

Programme Coordinator (Nutrition)

GOAL Ireland (Sudan programme)
02.2008 - 10.2009

Certificate - Project Planning and Management

Uganda Management Institute
01.2007 - 01.2007

Nutritionist (consultant)

GOAL Ireland (Uganda Programme)
03.2006 - 05.2006

Nutritionist – Assessments and Surveys, for Rapid Response Programme

GOAL Ireland (Ethiopia Programme)
05.2005 - 09.2005

Emergency Nutrition Coordinator For: Medical-Nutritional Emergency Feeding (malnutrition) Programme

COOPI (Cooperazione Internationale)
06.2004 - 12.2004

Nutrition Consultant For: Improving Nutritional Practices of People Living With HIV/AIDS

ACDI/VOCA
12.2003 - 01.2004

Master of Medical Science (M.Med.Sci) - Human Nutrition

University of Sheffield
01.1998 - 01.2003

Registered Clinical Dietician

Private Hospital
06.1993 - 10.2003

Nutrition Lecturer

Institute of Health Sciences (IHS), Ministry of Health
01.1991 - 01.1993

Intern

UN World Health Organisation, Nutrition Unit
06.1989 - 07.1989

Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) - Dietetics

Acadia University
01.1987 - 01.1991

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Hilda KawukiNutrition Programme Officer