Reaching Children’s Potential in Tanzania: Welcome to Jenifa Mhole

Every month, Global Volunteers’ caregivers in the Ukwega Ward of Tanzania meet with families who wish to participate in the Reaching Children’s Potential (RCP) Demonstration Program. The goal of RCP is to eliminate childhood stunting in all five of the villages served: Ipalamwa, Makalanga, Lulindi, Ukwega, and Makungu. Specifically, families obtain the nutrition, health care, knowledge, technology, and encouragement needed to combat stunting, and to ensure their children can realize their full potential. We’re happy to welcome Jenifa Khole and her son Joshua to the RCP “family” this month.

Jenifa Khole was born and raised in Ukwega village, where she lives with her parents, husband, daughter Gloria (age six years) and son Joshua (age five months). Like most families in the region, they farm to feed the family and sell the surplus when the harvest is good.

During her second pregnancy, Jenifa heard about the RCP Program from her friends Olesta, Elimista, and Alida, who were already participating. Knowing that RCP provides health services, educational workshops, and fortified meals, she decided the program would greatly benefit her and her baby, and would be worth the time investment in the required meetings. “I joined in the program because I need to learn how to raise children,” Jenifa admitted. “I hope to have healthy children and to be helped at the Ipalamwa General Clinic.” Mothers who are enrolled in the RCP Program receive clinic services free of charge. She enjoys being a mother, and after Gloria was born, was looking forward to expanding her family. Long before she became pregnant with Joshua, she prayed to have another child. “I feel supported when I go to church for prayer,” she said.

About RCP’s Focus on Stunting:

Stunting is the impaired growth and development that children experience from poor nutrition, repeated infection, and inadequate psycho-social stimulation. Children are defined as stunted if their height-for-age is more than two standard deviations below the World Health Organization’s Child Growth Standards median. Global Volunteers’ RCP Program is a child-focused, parent-driven, family-centered, and community-led comprehensive effort beginning with pregnancy and continuing through the 18th birthday, focusing on the first 1,000 days of life. Ending stunting is the goal of the RCP Program in the Ukwega Ward in central Tanzania. Learn more here.

You can help Jenifa and nearly 600 other RCP mothers learn how to enable their children to reach their full potential. Support Global Volunteers’ RCP Program with a monthly or one-time gift now, and join a future service program to bring important resources to families in the Ukwega Ward.

To learn about the RCP Program and families in the Ukwega Ward, choose from the program blog archive here.