Shakhnoza was worried. Her 14-month old child was very thin and had become sick very quickly. She didn’t know what could possibly be wrong with her. She decided to go to her neighbor, Dilbar, for advice; she knew that Dilbar had been going to women’s health lessons offered by Operation Mercy in their village.
“What have you been feeding her”” Dilbar asked.
“I feed her porridge with milk powder.”
“That is not enough nutrition for a child of her age! She needs more than porridge! You should also feed her beans, eggs, and juice!”
Dilbar then continued to discuss healthy foods and supplemental feeding of babies and toddlers to Shakhnoza. These were all lessons she had learned through our project.
Our desire is to see village women applying the lessons they learn and passing the information on to family members and neighbors, multiplying the impact of the project. We are happy to see that the strategy is working. Now, Shakhnoza’s baby is thriving and gaining weight! We love hearing these success stories from our participants and knowing that these lessons are making a real and lasting impact on the lives and families of rural women in Tajikistan.
