I learned to prevent malnutrition for my baby

“My first child only weighs 14kg at the age of 5. But my second baby is 1 now and already weighs 9.5kg”, told a 23 year old mom named Thuan in Doi village, Tan Mai commune, Mai Chau district, Hoa Binh province.

Getting married at young age, living in a temporary wooden house by the Hoa Binh hydropower lake, Thuan (born in 1993) takes care of two little children while her husband bears the breadwinner role by fishing in the lake or chopping bamboo as a day laborer.  

During her first pregnancy, the young mom did not have much knowledge about caring for herself and the fetus. Her 5 year old daughter is a curious lovely girl but stands small since she weighs only 14kg.

Thuan's first child is a small lovely girl

“I did not get a lot of information about taking care and preventing illness for my baby then”, revealed Thuan. During the second pregnancy, she did differently.

This time, she joined the Health Club in her Doi village in December of 2014, while she was 6 month pregnant. Baby boy Minh Quan was born in October of 2015, weighing 3.3kg.

“I attended the club frequently, not missing one meeting. I have learned a lot about health care for myself and my baby from other club members and district health care center officers, such as properly nursing new born, cooking porridge, coping with basic diseases of children…”, told Thuan.

The most important knowledge she gained at the club is the must of breastfeeding entirely in the first 6 months of the baby. From the 7th month on, he could be weaned with “colorful” meals cooked from 4 nutrition groups, from little to much, from thin to thick…

 “I cook him 3 extra meals along with the main breastfeeding daily. I add cooking oil and tiny vegetable slices into the porridge. Also, in order to vary the porridge flavor, I might alternatively add meat, fish, peanut or egg to the porridge”, said Thuan who created a small garden in the front of the house for vegetable, raised chickens for eggs and used fish caught in the lake.  

She also learned useful knowledge about taking care of herself: Since her second pregnancy, she has kept healthy diet, had vaccine shots and iron supplements. Thankfully, baby boy Minh Quan has been growing strong and bright.

“He is now 1 year old and weighs 9.5kg. He eats well, 3 porridge bowls a day beside mother’s milk. He’s obedient, barely ill, only gets cold sometimes due to the severe weather”, said the proud mom.

Thuan now knows how to cook nutritious meals for her kids

Doi village’s Health Club where Thuan is an active member was established based on the practical needs of pregnant women and mothers with children under 5 living in the 6 targeted villages of Mai Chau ADP.

Meeting monthly, clubs members discuss topics such as nutrition practice, children basic diseases prevention… through group games and illustrative activities. After nearly two years of the club, there’s only 1 malnutrition case remaining in Doi village.

“In the coming years, the Health Club will promote communication on child health care and diseases prevention, nutrition practice and pregnant health care. We will continue to maintain the monthly activities and toward to the target of stopping the child malnutrition in the village”, shared Ms. Bui Thi Chuc, the head of Club. 

The mothers, however, still face a few difficulties in taking good care of the children, mostly due to family limitted resources.

To help them ease the problem, in August of 2016, Mai Chau ADP has integrated the farmer group of livestock raising with the Health Club, to support funds for the members. 100% members of Health Club enrolled in the livestock group.

Thuan wishes “when my kids are old enough to go to kindergarten, I will have time for my family economy. I will use the fund from the livestock group to breed pigs and fish for more income to take better care of my children. Thus I really want to have more knowledge on livestock farming”.

Nguyen Van Thanh – Development Facilitator, Mai Chau ADP