Proper feeding: an easy way to ensure children stay nourished, healthy and strong
#ForEveryChild, a healthy start
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In the remote farming community of Sat Kwin village, part of the Kan Gyi Daunt township of the Ayarwaddy Delta, work is hard to find, incomes are modest, and families often struggle to buy enough food.
Mother-of-two Cho Cho, 26, looks after her 7-year-old daughter and 8-month-old son, Aung Ko Ko, while her husband, Yan Naing, 27, works as a day labourer on small construction projects or on local farms.
As every parent and caregiver knows, any sign of high fever in an 8-month old infant is alarming.
Cho Cho was filled with dread when Aung Ko Ko became ill, a month ago. She and her husband took him to the village healthcare centre as a precaution and he recovered quickly.
"He had a fever, but it didn't last long – I know that my son has good immunity, because we feed him properly - thanks to the training I received. He is a tough boy,” said Cho Cho, with a smile.
While pregnant with Aung Ko Ko, Cho Cho had joined the Nourish Delta programme, a UNICEF and World Vision supported project which aims to prevent and treat malnutrition among women and children. They offered classes to teach her how to feed, care and safeguard the health of both herself and her unborn child. She was also offered a daily micronutrient supplement, which she took for six months. Through the programme, she received guidance and support to make sure her baby is properly nourished.
Cho Cho said, "I now understand that nutrition is very important for children at this age because they need a good immune system to fight disease when they are very young. My son is a healthy and well-nourished boy and like all the other mothers in our village, I am really grateful for this programme
With support from the Japan Committee for UNICEF, children and women in Cho Cho’s village benefit from the Nourish Delta programme, which includes education, infant growth monitoring and follow-up, Infant and Young Child Feeding Practice counselling and education sessions, and micronutrient tablets and powders, and ready-to-use therapeutic foods for severely malnourished children.
"I still carefully follow the advice I was given about how to nourish my family and how to take care of my baby properly," she said. "Although my husband's income is only about 10,000 kyats a day (about US$4) and he doesn’t always have work, I do my best to cook nutritious meals for my family with foods that are available to us, such as eggs, beans, pulses and vegetables."
