Who better to ensure David’s health than his own mother? Elia wants nothing more than for her newborn baby to be healthy. That’s why providing her with the tools and knowledge she needs is top of mind for us. Elia stopped going to school when she turned 12 and, like many women and girls we serve, has had little to no interaction with the healthcare system. Taking care of David is something she learns by observing her neighbors.
One thing we know will help David grow up healthy: exclusive breastfeeding.
Breastmilk has everything he needs to be healthy, but nobody has ever told Elia this. When she looks at the other women in her community, she sees them feeding their newborns with oils to help with their digestion, water because they’re thirsty, and bean soup because if they don’t start eating beans early they don’t like them later.
These common practices can put David and other babies at-risk of sickness and malnutrition. By participating in the communal women’s meetings in our new breastfeeding program, Elia’s knowledge of how to provide for her baby has increased dramatically. More than once, her participation in a conversation has ended with: “I didn’t know that.”
We’re proud to provide Elia and women in her community the opportunity to learn a little more about how to provide for their newborns and ensure they grow up healthy and strong.
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