Moms in Myanmar Helping their Children Grow up Healthy

Khin Myo Thant, 33, spends most of her time caring for her young son, Hein Aung Soe. She also helps her husband, U Aung Ko, grow okra on an acre of land owned by family members. Their yearly income from selling okra – which can only happen during the November-April dry season – is about $492. It’s not enough to cover their family expenses, so U Aung Ko also fishes in the rainy season for food and a little extra money.

Sadly, but not surprisingly, little Hein Aung Soe was found to be underweight during a recent CWS-led nutrition assessment in the village. Because his parents were facing deep poverty, they weren’t able to provide the nutritious, plentiful diet he needed to grow to a healthy weight.

Hein Aung Soe and his mom were invited to join a CWS program focusing on nutrition education and awareness. Although she was sad to find out that her son was underweight, Khin Myo Thant was grateful for the opportunity to join these sessions. She wanted to learn more about child health and wellbeing, especially through better nutrition. She never missed a class, and she was actively engaged with the other mothers in the sessions.

After eight months of learning and sharing, Khin Myo Thant was nominated and chosen to be a Mother-Leader for our village. She says, “I am proud of what I have learned, especially about different types of foods’ nutritional value, new recipes for cooking healthy meals for young children, the importance of exclusive breastfeeding and growth monitoring. I have also learned some facilitation skills that I use when leading monthly Self-Help Group meetings, organizing monthly growth monitoring and facilitating exclusive breastfeeding sessions for other mothers – all with coaching from CWS staff. Now I can help my son – and other children – grow up to be healthy. I really appreciate the support from CWS and their donors for our children.”