Healthy Mothers & Children

One of our first community health outreach events was a rousing success! With 150 mothers and over 200 children gathered at a public field, we discussed important health topics, provided HIV and malaria tests, distributed mosquito nets, and examined children’s ears and eyes. In our first activity, mothers in small groups discussed the joys and challenges of being a mother. Most of these women identified caring for sick children as one of the main challenges and the laughter and happiness that children bring to the home as the greatest joy. In presentations from health educators and nurses from the local hospital, women learned about the importance of immunizations, good nutrition, breastfeeding, family planning, and malaria prevention. In the coming month, we will be visiting the homes of all the women who received mosquito nets, to make sure they have hung the nets and to provide any additional health services they may need. It was wonderful to have such an enthusiastic group of women eager to learn how they can better care for themselves and their families.