Community Centers are the basis for the prevention of malnutrition in difficult to access communities and where the beneficiary families are also the organizers and managers of the Centers. Several projects are carried out at the Centers, such as sewing workshops, literacy activities, childcare, orchards, fish and bird breeding and other training activities such as seminars and workshops. Also at the centers, the nourishing cookie is distributed and a common diner and community shops are set up. Proceedings from the latter are
reinvested in the Community Centers and used to face emergency situations such as snake bites in children, which entail transportation, drug and food costs.

Objectives

	Fight infant malnutrition and its consequences, in difficult to access areas where socially marginalized groups live
	Develop and promote economic self-sufficiency of marginalized communities
	Promote good eating habits and preventive health care among social and ethnic groups that are marginalized
	Strengthen the family, the fundamental basis of society

Sub-Centers are the meeting place where organized communities give answers to the needs of slightly and moderately malnourished children. Severely malnourished children are transferred to the Nutritional Recovery Centers located in the provinces.

Beneficiary families are directly involved in the management of the Community Centers and Sub-centers. Each one of them has a Directive Board and an area coordinator, which follows the guidance of a general coordinator. Boxes No. 3 through No. 10 describe the geographic location of the Centers and Sub-centers by provinces, beneficiary communities and the infant population that has received assistance.

Activities that are carried out in the Community Centers and Sub-centers
	Daily distribution of the nourishing cookie and complementary food to 6,000 children in pre-school age, who are at high risk of suffering from malnutrition.
	Delivery of supplements: iron, vitamin A and parasite elimination drugs to children in affected zones.
	Education on nutrition, healthy eating habits and food production in areas with the poorest nutritional status.
	Day care for children under 5
	Training in productive and managerial activities for rural women.
	Cultivation of land for self-consumption, as a means to increase food availability.
	Creation of poultry framing projects.
	Development of small production projects.
	Training to community leaders on project preparation and management, as a means to improve their skills.

There are Community Nutrition Centers in Kankintú, Nutiví and Bisira in Bocas del Toro; Los valles de Cañazas in Veraguas; El Copé de Olá in Coclé, Quebrada Guabo in Chiriquí and Macaracas in the Los Santos province.