Healing from Malnutrition: Tayenbore’s Journey from Despair to Hope

By: Francis Npong

Tayenbore was filled with joy when she welcomed her treasured baby girl into the world at Zabzugu Hospital. Having experienced the joy of motherhood twice with boys before, the birth of a baby girl felt like a dream come true. The dream of giving birth to a girl has been realized. She envisioned a prosperous future ahead of her life.

Not too long, the little girl began to experience health challenges casting shadows over her joy. Despite her unwavering love, Tayenbore found herself emotionally and psychologically stressed. One sickness after another plagued her daughter. She frequently took her to and out of the hospital. “She was diagnosed with acute malnutrition caused by inappropriate feeding and hygiene practices,” she said. 

Day by day, Tayenbore watched helplessly as her baby’s growth stalled. At just one and a half years old, she appeared as frail as a newborn. With every visit to the antenatal clinic, Tayenbore’s hope dimmed as her baby’s diminishing weight signaled the deepening gloom of malnutrition. “My baby's weight kept coming down, and her health kept deteriorating,” she said.

Malnutrition rendered her world cold and miserable. “The hospital became my second home,” Tayenbore expressed. She could not attend to her economic and social duties while malnutrition threatened her child’s life. They depleted their savings in a desperate hope of restoring the child’s health to no avail.

World Vision Ghana emerged in her Kpalgigbini community, embodying compassion and understanding for mothers like Tayenbore facing the heavy burden of caring for malnourished children. Armed with knowledge, they introduced the Positive Deviance approach, a programme focused on empowering caregivers with essential nutrition information and practices using locally available ingrediants such as moringa, palm oil, dry fish, leafy vegetables and grains among others.

Gathering other nursing mothers with similar conditions, World Vision's team guided Tayenbore through the intricate maze of child nutrition, teaching her about local foods rich in the nutrients her baby desperately needed. They provided practical lessons, showing her that even simple ingredients like local grains, moringa, palm oil, and green leafy vegetables could revitalize the health of an acute malnourished child if used and properly administered. Tayenbore religiously followed and practiced the knowledge gained.

Hope rebounded to life within her as she watched her baby's transformational growth. As Tayenbore implemented the newly learned practices, she began to witness remarkable changes. With each nutritious meal, the baby regained strength and began to thrive. Her cheeks filled out, and her eyes sparkled with life. “I never thought simple thing could make such a difference,” Tayenbore shared in disbelief, her heart swelling with gratitude.

The knowledge she had gained became a gift not just for the baby, but for the entire community. Armed with confidence, Tayenbore began to advocate for good nutrition among the mothers around her, sharing her journey and the importance of proper child care and nutrition. World Vision Ghana’s Positive Deviance approach has solved the challenge she battled without success. 

Tayenbore discovered that the joys of motherhood are entangled with the knowledge and practices that nurture life. She is currently celebrating her newly found joy, and to prevent other mothers from her awful experience, she has transformed herself into a teacher. 

As the child thrives, so is Tayenbore’s spirit. Together, they painted a bright future, reminding everyone in their community that with the right support, knowledge, and a little compassion, lives could be transformed and dreams could be realized. “World Vision Ghana has brought to miracle of love and life”, she said with much gratitude.