Donate NowIn this audio slideshow, Roger Thurow takes us to Karamoja, a region in eastern Uganda. It is the poorest area of the country, with high rates of malnutrition and child stunting and low rates of literacy, latrine use, and access to health services.
In Karamoja, “mother care” groups of pregnant women and new moms come together—often gathering under giant shade trees—to learn how to best ensure their children are well nourished and healthy as they grow. Through the support and instruction of the humanitarian organization Concern Worldwide, these groups address a range of topics—from dietary diversity and good hygiene to the importance of breastfeeding and timely health care—that are crucial for the mother’s health and the child’s development in the 1,000 days period from the beginning of pregnancy through the first two years of life.
It is all part of the Resiliency through Wealth, Agriculture and Nutrition project (RWANU), which is also supported by the United States Agency for International Development, ACDI-VOCA, and Welt Hunger Hilfe. So far, RWANU has reached more than 23,000 mothers in Karamoja.