Mothers fight against hunger
Around the world, hunger disrupts families. Despite challenges, we see caregivers, in particular mothers, fight against hunger – determined to do whatever it takes to keep their children healthy and safe.
Hunger is a global crisis. One million child deaths a year are linked to severe malnutrition – making it one of the biggest child killers in the world. Behind the harsh stats are individual stories of children and their mothers that embody resilience and strength to turn hunger into hope even in the most challenging situations.
Knowledge is power
Ngalula Mado*, a 34-year-old farmer in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), noticed her 18-month-old son, Kabondo Junior*, was not well. His swollen feet and rapid weight loss alerted her that something was wrong. Mado knew what to do and immediately sprang into action. Using a mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) tape, a tool she learned to use through Save the Children’s Family MUAC training. The MUAC tape is a colour-coded measuring tool used to quickly assess a child’s nutritional health by measuring their upper arm; green indicates normal nutrition, yellow signals moderate acute malnutrition, and red highlights severe acute malnutrition requiring urgent care. After measuring Kabondo’s arm, Mado confirmed her baby was experiencing severe acute malnutrition.
Mado’s village was more than nine kilometers from the nearest health center, but thankfully there was a Save the Children health clinic in her village, managed by trained health workers to treat common illnesses in young children. Here, Kabondo Junior was treated quickly with ready-to-use therapeutic food and referred to a health centre for further care because of the severity of his case. After 10 weeks of treatment, baby Kanbondo Junior recovered.
Mado’s story is testament that when empowered with knowledge and the right tools, a mother is equipped and able to help her sick child.
A child’s arm is measured with a MUAC bracelet to help diagnose malnutrition.
Road to recovery in Yemen
For Fatima*, a mother of eight in Yemen, the soaring prices of food, lack of job opportunities and ongoing conflict make it hard to provide enough to eat for her family. When one of her daughters Mona* began showing signs of severe malnutrition, Fatima feared the worst. In her village, Save the Children community health volunteers provide awareness about malnutrition and Fatima received support to treat Mona’s condition. The little girl was referred to a health facility and received life-saving therapeutic nutrition and weekly monitoring, helping her get better.
Mona’s recovery brought joy back to Fatima’s household. “When I saw that she was improving, I was very happy,” Fatima shared. “The workers at the health facility taught me how to prepare nutritious meals and care for my children. We also follow up on vaccinating our children in the facility and we get free medications.”
A doctor treats a child with nutritional supplements at a Save the Children Health centre in Yemen.
Nurturing the future: breastfeeding support
In a small village in Northeast Syria, Nofa* is the proud mother of six children. Her husband is the sole provider and makes close to 30,000 SPY ($2.80 CDN) per day. Despite his hard work, the family struggles to afford food. Without enough to eat, their youngest child Husam* fell ill due to malnutrition and needed immediate care “As a mother, every night passes and my mind goes crazy with worry about what we will eat tomorrow, and what I will feed my children the next day,” says Nofa.
After attending Save the Children awareness sessions on malnutrition, Nofa learned more about complementary feeding and breastfeeding. “They started teaching me how to feed my son properly, and how to breastfeed him more often. Before, I only breastfed Husam three times a day, sometimes even less. But after their advice, I learned more. I learned better how to add different foods to my son’s meals,” she says.
Nofa received the right information and was able to make informed decisions about Husam’s nutrition. Also, Husam was referred to a nearby nutrition centre and received additional supplements to help him make a full recovery. After five months, the toddler showed significant improvements.
A group of mothers attend education and training session on nutrition and feeding in Syria.
A global fight against hunger
These stories highlight the incredible strength of mothers and the impact of awareness, knowledge, and community-based support. Whether it is empowering women with malnutrition training, providing therapeutic feeding, or sharing information on breastfeeding, every action can make a difference.
In partnership with Global Affairs Canada, Save the Children works with families across five countries, including the DRC, Ethiopia, Syria, Yemen, and Sudan, to address the most immediate needs of hunger, nutrition, and child protection.
Together, we stand with and support mothers like Mado, Fatima and Nofa to fight malnutrition and give every child the chance to grow up healthy and strong.
Saba* feeds daughter Leila* while she sits on her aunt Lana*’s lap.
*Names changed to protect privacy.