Brighter Beginnings
Building the confidence and knowledge of parents so they can give their child the best start to life.
Savan lives an idyllic life with her husband, a farmer and mechanic, alongside their young son in Lao PDR’s northern province of Houaphanh. Their life is abounded with peace and happiness, and now the family is expecting even more joyful news in the coming months.
In Savan’s belly is the beginnings of a new life, the expectation of which has brought much excitement to the family. She is determined to give her baby the best start to life. However, she was also feeling quite anxious about giving birth, especially about the risks associated with childbirth.
With these concerns in mind, Savan attended a community session on parenting that was held in her village of Nalea. In the session, a local facilitator explained topics like health and nutrition for mothers and children, child protection, the importance of school enrolment for children, including those with disabilities, as well as how parents can help promote the growth and development of a child at home. Attending the session helped her understand that support is just around the corner if she needs it: the local health centre is always there if she wants advice on baby delivery planning or to get her and her baby’s health checked.
It was an especially helpful session for Savan that helped allay her anxiety and brought her much-needed peace of mind, ensuring that she feels more prepared for the delivery in the coming months.
Before attending the session, I was anxious about giving birth. However, I feel more reassured and now know where to seek help and what I can do during my pregnancy.
In addition to this, Savan also received a lot of information about education for her child at the parenting session, such as how every child has the right to learn without facing any form of discrimination by gender, disabilities or financial status. “I want both my children to receive good quality education,” said Savan, who hopes that her children can have access to good learning opportunities as they grow up.
The parenting session that Savan took part in was organised under the “Love and Care for Every Child” parenting programme supported by UNICEF Australia through the Australian NGO Cooperation Program (ANCP). The session provided many parents with the opportunity to learn about better parenting practices to help create a supportive household environment for their child’s development.
