Reaching Children’s Potential in Tanzania: Welcoming New Moms to the Program in October
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 two new moms to the RCP “family” this month.
Prisca Giha was born in Mkalanga village in October 2000 and completed primary school there. She farms and does some labor jobs for a living. She is currently expecting her first child. Prisca learned about the RCP Program from her mother, who is a member of the program. She also has many friends and neighbors who are a part of the program. She says she decided to join because of the wonderful services that RCP families receive. Prisca hopes to learn new things in the program, specifically how to care for newborns. She notes that this is important to her as she has never received education on this before and she is pregnant now. Prisca explains that one of the most important values in her culture is to respect elders. Kneeling when greeting elders is a sign of respect.
Evodia Kibiki was born and raised in Ukwega Village, where she completed her primary education. She is 18 years old and just gave birth to a beautiful baby boy on October 17, seven days after she joined the RCP Program. Samwel weighed 6 pounds 6 ounces. See photos of Samwel here. Evodia farms on other people’s land for a living and sometimes does labor work. Evodia has many friends and neighbors who are members of the RCP Program. She says she decided join because she has heard that the program helps children and mothers grow better by receiving education and nutritious porridge. She says she looks forward to attending RCP workshops and being able to benefit from what she can learn in them. Evodia says she joined the program with the hope that she can have a healthy family by learning more about different topics.
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 these and over 750 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.
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