GhanaGhana

Helping moms & babies in Ghana

You are changing the lives of moms and babies. Here’s how.

Mom's & BabiesMom's & Babies
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The Need

Of the 5.2 million children who die around the world each year, 75 per cent die in the first year of life. Babies are at risk of death due to premature birth complications, complications during childbirth, infections, pneumonia and diarrhea. But this is preventable. With training and support, moms in poverty can be empowered to raise healthy and happy babies.

Our Response

Critical care
Your support helps secure access to pre- and postnatal care, skilled birth attendants and medical intervention when necessary.

Home-based care
Mothers are visited in their homes monthly by a Survival specialist, who offers education in prenatal care and early child-rearing as well as one-on-one biblical mentoring.

Group-based learning
At these church-based activities, moms learn skills to earn an income and gain vital knowledge including basic literacy, the importance of breastfeeding and how to prevent malnutrition and disease. These groups combat isolation through a supportive community of mothers who, together, learn about the God who loves them.

Ghana Stats

Average number of children in household 4
Average age of first-time mothers 17
Births attended by skilled health personnel 46
Stunted growth from malnutrition 14

Activities

Physical health: Babies were weighed and measured regularly to track their growth and development. Babies were assessed for signs of illness and were treated or sent to a specialist if required. Moms and babies also received regular physical exams by a physician. Moms received pre- and postnatal care and learned the importance of breastfeeding. In Adaklu Waya, a nutritionist taught moms how to cook foods rich in iron and prevent anemia during pregnancy.

Income generation: Moms in Adaklu Ablornu learned how to make hygiene items like powders and soap bars. In the Atimpoku Survival Program, caregivers also learned how to make soap and hair pomade, a hairstyling product used to slick back and add volume to hair. Moms are using these skills to generate an income.

Disease prevention: Families learned how to prevent common diseases such as malaria. Moms learned how vector-borne diseases spread as well as signs and symptoms and what to do if they contract malaria. Staff encouraged caregivers to reduce shrubbery, tall grasses and stagnant water from around their homes to reduce mosquito breeding grounds. Moms also learned the importance of vaccinations and how to prevent foodborne illnesses by carefully washing produce and practising good hygiene.

Education: During home visits and group workshops, program staff and local professionals taught moms lessons on topics such as health and hygiene, early childhood development, child protection, parenting skills, disease prevention, newborn care and common newborn illnesses such as jaundice. Moms in Adaklu Ablornu learned healthy habits during and after pregnancy, such as not smoking or consuming alcohol and speaking to a health care provider before starting new medications while breastfeeding.

Group activities: Moms enjoyed spending time together during group meetings, workshops and extracurricular activities. Moms in Atimpoku participated in team building activities such as cooking competitions and Bible quizzes, where they gained spiritual knowledge, enhanced their biblical comprehension and built stronger relationships with one another. Caregivers also attended group retreats focused on promoting participants’ social, emotional and spiritual development and their role as parents.

Nutrition: Families were given food baskets so caregivers could prepare nutritious meals for their children. Moms learned how to make nourishing, age-appropriate foods for their babies, such as fruit purees and porridge. Moms also learned about the different food groups and the importance of a balanced diet.

Project Stats

This intervention addressed:

Full-term births 20
Illness subc: Influenza 1
Illness: Non-Communicable Diseases 3
Illness: Respiratory-Related Illness 1
Illness subc: Anemia 7
Pregnancies 8
Illness subc: Skin 1
Breastfeeding Moms 18
Malnourished Babies - Severely Underweight 96
Attended births 14
Illness subc: Diarrhea 1
Malnourished Babies - Moderately Underweight 42
Normal birth weights 20
Low birth weights 2
Eunice

ReportA message from those your gift helped

My name is Eunice, and my baby’s name is Baby Kwaku. He is a beneficiary at the Emmanuel Methodist Child and Youth Development Centre located in the town of Akwamufie in Ghana’s Eastern region.

I am writing as a representative of the entire group of participants from the Atimpoku Survival Program to express our gratitude for the love, support and care you have shown to those in need in the centre, around the world and especially in our community.

Sometimes we take our children to the market square if there is no one at home to care for them. Due to the transient nature of our community, most of us caregivers do not attend church services, even on Sundays. Instead, prayer meetings are organized for us caregivers whenever we meet for Survival meetings. We start with the prayer meeting, and then have our worship and praise. After that, we listen to the Word of God or share it with the minister of Emmanuel Methodist Church.

The vision of the Emmanuel Methodist Child and Youth Development Centre is to help caregivers raise their children in the love of Jesus Christ, as we the Survival mothers know. The program has been able to achieve these aims through your countless support, which has helped the Survival caregivers in this program.

We are very grateful for the love and support shown to us. I pray that the Almighty God would shower his blessings of good health and strengthen you with abundant grace, allowing you to continue supporting beneficiaries and caregivers. May God bless and guide you spiritually and physically.

We are always grateful for your love, kindness and support.

God bless you richly,

Eunice