Over and over, I am struck by the intimacy and bond between African mother and child. Kids are wrapped and carried throughout the day - establishing a powerful connection. They are rarely outside the embrace of their caretaker.
One often sees rows of mothers, each with a child or two children wrapped on their back, walking along dirt roads and small winding paths, gathering wood, water, and food.
They seem to be in constant motion.
Six to twelve year old girls often walk beside their mothers and carry an infant on their backs if their mother has twins or two young children at the same time.
Many children in Malawi are breast fed until they are two to three years old. The kids seem to develop the capacity to "self serve" whenever hunger strikes.
This, fortunately, provides vital protein to many children who might develop malnutrition if they ate only crushed corn, pumpkin seeds, and other common, indigenous foods.
Many of the children treated by the nutrition program I am working with experienced disruptions in this supply of breast milk.
Often, their mother has become sick, their father has died and the left the family with no resources, or some other event has disrupted the normal flow of their home.
In rural Malawi, many families live on a thin edge.
HoffMan,
ReplyDeleteTwo questions: What language do the people speak? Have you been able to learn any of it so far? How do you keep from getting depressed about the challenging situation facing the people? Oh, OK, it was three questions smile .
Hawk,
ReplyDeleteMost of the local people speak "Chi-Chea-wah" (this is not the correct spelling, but the way the language's name is pronouned). Sometimes, I can mutter through a bit of english and gain a sense of playful engagement Sometimes, I have someone with me who speaks a bit of the native language. Other times, I just move my arms around and attempt to communicate with gestures. All part of the travel experience. In regard to your last question, the biggest factor for me with regard to whether or not the situation with malnutrition causes me to feel depressed, is the knowledge that the children and families I see are getting help. The outcomes are near 95% positive when moderate and/or severe malnutrition are treated. Still, the circumstances for many of these families are dire. I can't imagine having no food, no money, and no ability to even reach a location where help might be found. For most of these children, the nearest hospital is ten to thirty kilometers. We often transport three to five children a day to the hospital. If they cannot eat, they must get fed by a tube.
Very interesting, thanks.
ReplyDelete