When a CWS initiative meets a mom’s initiative in Myanmar

Ma Khaing has her hands full. She’s a mother of five children who range in age from two up to 19. She also sells fish, and her husband Ko Ye Tun works as a daily wage laborer and fisherman. All five of their children live at home, including 19-year-old, married Yamin Hlaing. Seventeen-year-old Kyaw Min Hlaing is also a wage laborer; 10-year-old Phyo Min Zaw and seven-year-old Phyo Wai are in school; and little Thura Aung is a two-year-old toddler.

All eight members of the household live off a combined monthly income of about 120,000 Myanmar Kyat, which is less than $100. It’s not nearly enough to pay for all of their expenses, especially education for the youngest children. Education remains the family’s priority, though, even above having healthy and nutritious food.

It is tragic but not surprising, then, that little Thura Aung was found to be malnourished during a recent CWS nutrition screening in their village.

When this discovery was made, this mom stepped up for her little one. Despite being busy and tired from her daily responsibilities, Ma Khaing has actively joined every nutrition education session. She wants her son, and all of her children, to grow up healthy.

From the start, Ma Khaing has been interested in learning about the characteristics of the different food groups and healthy practices for preparing food. She received a rooster, three hens, five types of seeds and farming tools to start a home garden through the program. She immediately got to work expanding her brood of chickens and her vegetable harvest. She’s up to 22 chickens and counting, feeds eggs to her family regularly and planning to sell future chicks for profit. Her pumpkins, long beans, watercress, spinach and zucchini are all thriving, so the whole family’s diet is enriched and increased. And Ma Khaing knows how to make sure her meals are prepared and cooked in a healthy way.

There’s one other significant recent change, too. Because the family was so poor, they weren’t able to build their own household latrine. They used a neighbor’s latrine. Now, thanks to another CWS initiative – and her own clear initiative, too – Ma Khaing had the chance to get a latrine for her family.

First, she joined information sessions: what do you need to have to build a latrine? What are some basic sanitation and hygiene best practices to put into place once you have them? Then, CWS supported her family with building materials, including concrete rings, zinc sheeting and bamboo. The family contributed labor and other materials for the project.

Now, the family has their own latrine, and they can use it anytime.

Ma Khaing reports that she is happy with her son’s monthly weight gain and consistent growth. The whole family has healthy meals each day and better hygiene, which they have learned from their inspiring mom.