Nancy, held by her grandfather George, is happy and healthy - thanks to the support the family is receiving from their women’s health group. The work of these groups is only possible thanks to kind donors like you. Please make a donation to support babies like Nancy this Christmas - and beyond.
Nancy is a happy, healthy six-month old living in Uganda. Her mother and grandparents are looking forward to a bright future together.
This is thanks to kind supporters like you. Your donations can help fund women’s health groups in Uganda, which provide vital support to people in the community.
These groups are established with the purpose to help women learn, organise and take action, giving them the support they need to help themselves.
This support includes:
• Advice for mothers about risks in pregnancy, including preventable, treatable diseases
• Support with helping communities make money, to improve both their diet and hygiene
• Mediating in issues of land conflict after the Civil War
Your donations can support babies like Nancy and her family this Christmas.
Every £5 you can donate can help a baby’s mother attend a woman’s health group. Thank you.
How Nancy and her family were supported by their women’s health group
Innocent and George, Nancy’s mother and grandfather, play and talk with baby Nancy. They’ve been supported by their women’s health group.
Northern Uganda, where Nancy lives, is still suffering from the brutal Civil War that raged there for over 20 years. Women and families were forced into squalid displacement camps, ridden with diseases, starvation and inadequate shelter.
In the Kati Kati village, Women and Children First set up a women’s health group. This group played a vital role in supporting Innocent, Nancy’s mother, throughout her pregnancy, as well as giving advice to Nancy’s grandparents.
Innocent begins, “My mother was a member of the group and they told her how to help me and be there for me.”
Flider, Nancy’s mother, agrees: “Our women’s health group has given me lots of knowledge and information about health issues that I never knew about. I’ve learned about caring for unborn babies. They told me about the risks.”
George, Nancy’s grandfather, explains: “The women’s health group supported us at the most critical time. They taught us to save money for the child, the importance of antenatal care and eating a balanced diet.
“As a family we are able to plan together and learn from each other. This has made us even more caring and loving.”
Innocent adds, “The women’s health group helped us with financial support when it was time to give birth to the baby. No local health facility could deliver my baby, so with the funds we saved, and some extra financial support from the group, I could go to the hospital in Lacor, where Nancy was delivered by doctors.”
After Nancy came home, Innocent says, “The women’s health group members came to visit me to ensure I had taken my baby for immunisation.”
Flider declares, “Since Innocent joined the group I see a positive change in her behaviour. She has learnt lots about hygiene, the benefits of breastfeeding and a balanced diet.”
The women’s health group has also played a vital role in building relationships with others in the community. George says, “We still have issues of land conflict, but because of the group, we are able to discuss many issues and solve them without fighting each other. We’ve also been visited by government health workers to discuss health and social issues.”
“We have managed things well by working together with groups to find solutions to our problems.”
George reflects, “I now see that all the women in our village give birth in the health facility. We have less children dying now as women don’t give birth at home. This is because they are listening to what the group leader teaches them.”
Women’s health groups play a vital role in supporting not only mothers and babies, but the whole of society.
Women and Children First can help empower people - but this is only made possible through your kind donations.
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Registered Charity No. 1085096
Registered Office: Women and Children First, 483 Green Lanes, London, N13 4BS
Telephone: +44 (0)20 7700 6309 | E-mail: info@womenandchildrenfirst.org.uk
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