Reaching Children’s Potential in Tanzania: Welcoming New Moms to the Program in September

Diana Ngusulu was born and raised in Makungu village, where she completed primary school. She married Funzo Kivamba and they live together in Makungu with their one-year-old daughter, Lovisha. They farm for a living, doing work on other people’s land. They cultivate corn and beans. Diana says she has heard that the RCP Program is aimed at reducing stunting in children under two years of age and promoting good health among mothers and children in general by providing nutritious porridge, building hand-washing stations, and providing medical services free of charge to RCP families. She says she decided to join the RCP Program because she wanted to learn new things in the workshops conducted with RCP moms. She has many friends and neighbors in the program. “My hope as a mother in the RCP Program is that I will learn new things which will help me in raising my child and my future children.  I know that you can benefit a lot from the workshops and the education the caregivers offer,” Diana says. She shares that one of the most important values in her culture is to respect elders and kneel to them as a sign of respect.  

Schola Tweve was born and raised in Makungu village, where she completed primary school. She has two daughters — Rebecca was born in 2016 and Vaileth in 2020. Schola farms for a living, cultivating corn and beans for both domestic and commercial purposes. She has heard about the RCP Program from her friends and neighbors in Makungu, who have told her that the RCP Program is aimed at promoting health for children and mothers in general. The program also aims at reducing stunting by providing nutritious porridge and free medical services to the families in the program. Schola decided to join the program because she wants to learn new things through the workshops conducted. “My hope as a mother in the RCP Program is that I will learn new things which will help me to raise my children because I have limited knowledge on how to do that. I hope being in the program will help me to raise my children well and with good health,” she shares.

Tumaini Msola was born December 21, 2003 in Mlafu village. She completed her primary education in 2016. She now lives in Mkalanga village. She is currently expecting her first child, due in December. Tumaini says she hopes to give birth at the Ipalamwa General Clinic. She farms for a living, cultivating crops for consumption at home and selling the surplus. Tumaini says she has heard lots about the RCP Program from her friends in Mkalanga who are in the program. They have told her how they benefit from the program through the hand-washing stations, nutritious porridge, free medical services, and education through workshops. She decided to join the program because she wants to access the workshops conducted on various issues as well and receive the other services offered through the program. “As an expecting mother, I hope that I will learn a lot from the program – from both the workshops and home visits with RCP caregivers. I hope this will all help me to take good care of my child and raise a healthy child,” Tumaini says.