A girl is not physically prepared to carry and deliver a baby, as her body is still growing and developing. Early pregnancy is among the most frequent causes of infant and maternal mortality in developing countries. Further, pregnancies too close together are another major factor.

We teach families and communities about the importance of delaying pregnancy until at least age 18. We educate mothers on the importance of leaving at least two years between pregnancies. This way, her body has a chance to recover from pregnancy and childbirth. She can continue breastfeeding her baby and focus on caring for her newborn.

Safe timing and spacing of pregnancies can have a lasting impact on a family. If a mother is alive and well, she can care for her other children, allowing them to continue in school. Babies who come into the world strong and healthy have a much better chance of thriving throughout their lives.

The first five years of a child’s life are critical. Every year, 5.9 million children die before their fifth birthday, mostly from causes that are preventable or treatable.

Here are some of the ways we respond: 

• We teach communities to protect children from simple but deadly illnesses like diarrhea, pneumonia and malaria
• We equip parents to identify and respond to symptoms
• We help ensure children have access to essential health services, both for checkups and in an emergency

Malnutrition contributes to about half of children’s deaths before age five. It greatly reduces a child’s ability to fight off even the simplest illnesses. And malnutrition can stunt the development of a child’s body and brain. It can interfere with their lifelong ability to learn, work and support their families. 

We also train and equip volunteer networks to care for those who are sick, and to look after children who are orphaned or vulnerable because of HIV and AIDS.

We consider the toll that the illness takes on the world’s most vulnerable children. Our response includes things like:

• prevention education
• prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV
• caring for those infected with the disease or affected by it
• working with local faith leaders overseas, harnessing their influence in reducing stigma around HIV and AIDS

We train and empower volunteer networks to care for those who are sick. We’re especially concerned about the well-being of children who are orphaned and vulnerable because of HIV and AIDS. We partner with communities to create networks, to ensure these children are comforted and cared for.

Malaria is a strong example of the ways that our integrated community model can save children’s lives. To start, we install clean water points within communities. This means babies and children are less likely to spend time near stagnant water sources – breeding grounds for the mosquitos which carry malaria.

Here are other ways we prevent and respond to malaria:

• We distribute mosquito nets village-by-village, covering whole communities to reduce the spread of the mosquito-transmitted disease
• We teach villagers to install the bed nets and use them properly and consistently
• We educated communities about malaria, its mode of transmission through mosquitoes, and malaria prevention strategies
• We teach parents about symptoms of malaria, preparing them to respond quickly when a baby or child is ill
• We train health workers to care for children who are dangerously ill
• We collaborate with local ministries of health to improve community access to healthcare, expanding to reach more children

Despite the challenges of poverty, there are some families who are able to raise well-nourished children. Together, the community discovers what these families do differently.  Sometimes, it’s a matter of combining different foods together, or adding new foods to the children’s diet.

We are always on the look-out for families whose children are healthy, even when others in the community are struggling.  What are they doing differently from the rest?  Which recipes are they using, and what foods are they sourcing?  We work with these families to teach others in the community about improving child health.