Choose Life Supporting Mothers & Children

In Deuteronomy, God makes promises to Israel and challenges them to choose. “This Day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live” Deuteronomy 30:19 God challenges us to choose life for ourselves and our children. But for many people, it’s not so simple. Today we want to look at the challenges facing women and children in poverty: women who want to choose life but who, through poverty and prejudice, find their choices are limited. And yet, through Tear Fund and the Child Survival Programme, they are given options to choose. God’s Challenge to Choose Life

Starvation in the Slums Here are three stories of challenges faced by mothers in caring for their children and how Tear Fund, through the Child Survival Programme, is helping them as they choose life. Sunita along with her family has been staying in Zakhira slum colony for many years. The youngest child, Palak, who is three years old was in a bad way and severely malnourished. Her eyes and appearance of the skin were very pale and she had a very poor appetite. The family had to trek to their native village from Delhi frequently and were unable to pay proper attention to the health of the child. Constant neglect led to Palek’s health turning from bad to worse. The Community Health Volunteer of the area was familiar with the plight of the child however since Sunita is illiterate she could not read health information about the severity of the problem. The Community Health Volunteer motivated the mother to bring the child to the Asha Health Centre and also encouraged the mother to feed the child with semi solid food at least 2-3 times in a day. The child was examined by the doctor and found to be underweight according to her age. They monitored the health of the child and gave her supplementary vitamins. After about a month of intense follow up and counseling of the mother, the child has gained weight and plays around in the house. Now Palek is continuing to recover and Sunita is more aware of the health needs of her children.

The Struggle of a Girl Seema Giri comes from a disturbed family. When her daughter was born, her husband and parents-in-law threw the child into a well because they wanted a boy child instead of a girl. It was by God’s grace she survived. Seema was driven from her home. She lived on streets, begging for a living. She was taken back by her husband, but she had frequent fights at home. After she gave birth to twin boys, her family members were very happy. But there was no one to look after her, and she used to get tired looking after daily chores, and caring for the twins and her older daughter. We selected Seema for the Child Survival Programme because we wanted to help her improve the nutrition and healthy living for her and her children. After coming to the programme, Seema has learnt many things. Now she is happier in her family life, and she can get help and support for her child from the Child Survival Programme. This also makes her husband feel happy, and he is very cooperative now. He no longer fights as much with Seema and takes good care of her and the children. Her twins were having slight problem in passing their urine, which has now been operated on through the programme. Her children are healthy and are enjoying the programme with other children.

A Place to Call Home This is Fikirte Amsalu’s story. I came to this town in 1991 E.C. right after my parent’s death. I had no brothers or sisters. When my parents both died I couldn’t resist the pain. I knew no one here too. I started working as a daily laborer- carrying stones. Soon after, I met the father of my child and we started living together then I become pregnant. At three months pregnant he left and never came back. Fikirte is now a single mother of one who tries to support her family selling roasted barley on the streets. Both she and her 11 month old baby boy are HIV positive which made it hard for her to take care of him as he gets sick frequently. She says life has been very tough on her before she joined Child Survival Programme as she had no relatives to support her or a place she calls home. As she worried about her health and that of her child (both having HIV). Fikirte suffered from depression, pain, loneliness and ups and downs that have affected both her and her child. Now, she is very grateful for the opportunity through Child Survival Programme and is thankful to be part of a program which pays attention to the well being of her and her child. Fikirte says, I feel like all of the people in this church are my relatives. I see a future for my child and want to see my child grow and go to school then achieve something good.

In 2000, the UN developed The Millenium Development Goals: These are 8 goals to guide development practice until Goal 4 is to reduce child mortality rates Goal 5 is to improve maternal health. Yet one mother dies every minute in childbirth. Millenium Development Goals

Goal 5: Reduce Maternal Mortality Goal 5 has two objectives: a)To Reduce By Three Quarters The Maternal Mortality Ratio Most maternal deaths could be avoided. Giving birth is especially risky in Southern Asia and sub-Saharan Africa, where most women deliver without skilled care. b)To Achieve Universal Access To Reproductive Health More women are receiving ante-natal care. Yet inequalities in care during pregnancy are striking: Only one in three rural women in developing regions receives the recommended care during pregnancy Progress has stalled in reducing the number of teenage pregnancies, putting more young mothers at risk Poverty and lack of education perpetuate high adolescent birth rates as women have little choice about their lives. Inadequate funding for family planning is a major failure in fulfilling commitments to improving women’s reproductive health

One mother dies every minute Why? It comes down to Poverty & Prejudice 1) Women have no voice or rights. It is her parents’ decision to marry her off young; It is her husband’s decision when to have children and how many; Since son’s are revered, there is pressure to have sons. Her husband’s decides to continue till the birth of a son 2) Her Economic situation Because of poverty, and the lack of work maternity benefits, she must return to the workplace (often to manual labour) straight after giving birth 3) Lack of education, especially in literacy. There is a lack of knowledge on food to eat – protein, iron and needed food groups She is unable to further her educational and developmental needs 4) Lack of access to healthcare There is a lack of pre-natal care for pregnant mothers, through a shortage of health care workers, lack of basic equipment, inadequate infrastructure such as clinics and health facilities

Goal 4: Reduce Child Mortality Goal 4 has the objective to reduce by two thirds, between 1990 and 2015, the under five mortality rate Child deaths are falling, but not quickly enough to reach the target. Revitalising efforts against pneumonia and diarrhoea, while bolstering nutrition, could save millions of children

One child dies every three seconds Why? Once again, Poverty & Prejudice 1) Girls don’t count They are unwanted due to the costs involved in raising a girl Infanticide is common, including by selective starvation. So is selective abortions through ultrasound scans. This is illegal but still common. 2) Lack of healthcare There is a lack of immunisations for diseases such as measles; Respiratory tract infections are caused by crowede housing in little shacks 50sqm with little of ventilation. A lack of Vitamin A causes blindness in children 3) Sanitation and Water Dehydration through lack of water. In some places, 700 people share one toilet block. In response people use open spaces or drains. 4) Lack of education Education is inadequate on how to care for the newborn, when and how to breastfeed, how to eat well from all the food groups. And what supplements are required – for example, Vitamin A to stop blindness.

Poverty & Prejudice Poverty contributes to womens’ ill-health, but so does prejudice against women and girls. Yet it is crucial that women receive care and education – both for themselves and the effect on development. If a girl receives 6 years of schooling, this increases the rate of pre and postnatal child survival. Educated women and girls will have fewer children, earn an income, and are less likely to marry young EDUCAT ING girls Breaks the Cycle of Poverty Value girls Eatin g well Healt h care Hygie ne Immu nise

Overcoming Poverty and Prejudice TEAR Fund’s Christian partners will provide: Improved nutrition and supplements for both mother and child Infant survival training for mothers Access to healthcare facilities Access to immunisations against preventable diseases Education and income generating skills Family planning Emergency help in crisis situations Women’s empowerment and child advocacy / education programme