Story 1: From Despair to Hope: How Susan Awili Turned Her Son’s Struggle into a Community Victory
- In the quiet village of Pemkoro, in Awach subcounty, Abim district, many young children suffer from poor nutrition. The area is in Alert Phase, with 4.2% of children under five facing malnutrition. For Susan Awili, a mother of five, this became very real. Her youngest son, Peter, was not growing well. Even though Susan tried her best, Peter’s health kept getting worse. At just 8 months old, his arm measurement (MUAC) dropped to 11.2 cm below the healthy level of 12.0 cm and his weight was only 6.2 kg. Susan feared for his life.
- “I noticed that Peter was not gaining weight. Compared to his peers, he was stunted, weak, and always falling ill. This time round, the fever and loss of appetite were severe, and I rushed him to the health facility,” Susan recalls.
- At the health center, Susan received news that left her shaken, Peter was suffering from acute malnutrition. For Susan, the diagnosis was not only shocking but heartbreaking. The health workers explained that the problem was not just illness but also gaps in nutritional knowledge, particularly now that Peter had turned eight months and was meant to have transitioned from liquids to solid foods at 6 months.
- After treatment, Susan was referred to the Wang Obanga Tec Mothers Care Group consisting of 30 mothers, a community initiative supported under the CASCADE program overseen by KAWUO. This referral would prove to be life changing.
- In this group, mothers gather monthly to learn, share experiences and support one another. Through interactive sessions, Susan discovered knowledge that had been missing from her parenting style, this included; the importance of exclusive breastfeeding and timely complementary feeding. She learned how to start a kitchen garden for nutrient-rich foods, the essential diets for pregnant women and young children, and even joined cooking demonstrations that improved her confidence in preparing healthy
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