Malnutrition may not always be obvious, but it can be addressed

Ko Kyaw Zaw Hein earns a monthly salary of about $110 – above the average for the region – working at a beach hotel on the Bay of Bengal in Myanmar, so he provides well for his wife, Ma Theint Theint Sint, and their two daughters. Imagine the surprise  the parents felt, then, when they learned that their three-year-old daughter is malnourished!

Fortunately, though, help was available immediately. CWS was there to support them as they changed this situation; Ma Sint has already joined four learning group sessions and proved herself to be one of the most motivated mothers of all.

In reflecting on her experience so far, Ma Sint said this: “Before, I did not know so much about balanced diets and their importance for young children, especially. Now I understand more, so I prepare at least three different kinds of food for my girls each day to support their development. Also, instead of buying packaged snacks from a shop, I choose local snacks of natural ingredients like sticky rice and sweet potato. I am also more careful to prepare our meat, fish and vegetables in a way that stops vitamin and mineral loss; and I boil our water for drinking to avoid diarrhea and water borne diseases. I am careful about hand washing before meals and after toileting, too.”

Ma Sint went on to say, “All these things I am doing now are because the community nutrition support team from CWS helped me understand these simple things. Now I want other mothers to take good care of their children, too, so I always share my new knowledge with them when I get the chance. And, I hope their children will join my daughters in feeling well and being healthier, too.”