Dania knew something was wrong with her toddler daughter.
Sofia had always been a lively girl, but lately she hadn’t been eating much, and her energy seemed low. Dania hurried through her Honduras community to the only place she knew to go.
In rural communities like Dania’s, many mothers, babies and young children face life-or-death situations simply because they do not have access to the nutrition or medical care they need. Over 90% of all child deaths worldwide occur in just 42 countries and 94% of maternal deaths occur in low and middle-income countries.
To meet these challenges, World Renew equips parents to prevent malnutrition and other child health issues that lead to poor health outcomes. In Dania’s time of crisis, she had already been making monthly check-ups to a local health centre organized in partnership with World Renew’s Maternal and Child Health (MCH) program.
At this centre, a nurse determined that Sofia had lost significant weight. She gave Dania Vitamin A and taught her to prepare milk with Incaparina, a nutritional supplement made from corn and soy flours fortified with essential vitamins and minerals for children.
To Dania’s great relief, Sofia was back to a healthy weight on her next visit.
“It is good support,” says Dania. “We do need to know how our children are growing, and the most beautiful thing is that our children grow up healthy and strong.”
World Renew’s Maternal and Child Health programs are focused on the first 1,000 days of life—from conception to a child’s second birthday—which are critical for brain development and lay the foundation for lifelong health, growth, learning, and well-being.
Over the last decade, World Renew has improved the health of 1.7 million children and 150,000 women have been trained to prevent childhood stunting. Health education is essential.
When Nenpin, a mother in rural Nigeria, became pregnant with her fourth child, she was completely unaware of prenatal care.
Nenpin and her husband had both grown up struggling with poverty and missed out on education. To support their family, they turned to subsistence farming.
During her first three pregnancies, Nenpin endured many serious medical problems. She feared her fourth would be the same. During her first trimester, she eagerly joined a new MCH program started by World Renew and its local partner.
Nenpin followed all recommendations, which included avoiding too strenuous tasks, taking vitamins, and scheduling two ultrasounds. For the first time, she had her baby at a health facility.
“I was determined to do everything that I was taught to make sure that my baby will be healthy, and thank God it has been a success,” shares Nenpin. “My baby is three months old now, and we have not needed the clinic except for immunizations. This is all thanks to this program, and I pray that the good Lord will sustain it.”
World Renew’s holistic, integrated health programs combine components of agriculture, livelihoods, justice, spiritual transformation, and community development. For those familiar with descriptions of God as a gardener (such as Psalm 104:14), it can be especially powerful to realize how much of this work takes place in a garden.
Happy Chirindo and her children spend long days in their garden, tending to amaranth, kale, okra, and tomatoes. In their region, one of the poorest regions of Kenya, years of prolonged drought have devastated crops – and 26% of children under five experience stunting due to poor nutrition.
Through the support of World Renew, Happy learned sustainable farming techniques and climate-adaptive methods, such as water conservation and soil protection. Now that her garden is flourishing even in difficult conditions, she has enough to feed her family and to sell for income.
Happy is also part of World Renew’s MCH programs. She receives home visits from a trained community health volunteer, ensuring that her children remain healthy during their first years of life. Nutrition classes have taught her how to prepare balanced meals rich in essential nutrients, giving her boys the strength to play, grow, and one day attend school.
Want to join World Renew in helping mothers like Dania, Nenpin, and Happy find hope?
For $40 a month—or even with a one-time gift—you can be part of a Mother’s Village by supporting the vital first 1,000 days of a baby’s life, a crucial developmental period that profoundly influences their lifelong potential.
As the old adage goes, it takes a village to raise a child. Now you can help more mothers find their village, so they will know where to turn when children fall ill, when pregnancy risks arise, when crops falter, and other challenges come.
Together, we can give mothers and children healthier futures, so they can thrive like resilient plants in every season of life.
Adele Gallogly is a writer and editor who specializes in non-profit and literary writing. She lives with her husband and young children in Hamilton, Ontario.