Choose LifeSupporting Mothers & Children

In Deuteronomy, God makes promises to Israel and challenges them to choose.

“This Day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you

that I have set before you life and death,

blessings and curses. Now choose life,

so that you and your children may live”Deuteronomy 30:19

God challenges us to choose life for ourselves and our children. But for many women and children, it’s not so simple. But through Tear Fund and the Child Survival Programme, they are given options to choose.

God’s Challenge to Choose Life

The Millenium Development Goals

In 2000, the UN developed The Millenium Development Goals: These are 8 goals to guide development practice until 2015.

Goal 5 is to reduce Maternal Mortality. This goal has two objectives:a) To reduce by three quarters the maternal mortality ratiob) To achieve universal access to reproductive health

Yet ….. One mother dies every minute!Why? It comes down to Poverty & Prejudice

1) Women have no voice or rights. It is her parents’ decision to marry her off young; It is her husband’s decision when to have children and how many.

2) Her Economic situation. Because of poverty she must return to a demanding workplace straight away.

3) Lack of literacy and education on food groups and in literacy.food to eat – protein, iron and needed food groups.

4) Lack of access to pre-natal healthcare and clinics.

Goal 4: Reduce Child Mortality

• Goal 4 has the objective to reduce by two thirds, between 1990 and 2015, the under five mortality rate

• Child deaths are falling, but not quickly enough to reach the target.

Yet …. One child dies every three secondsWhy? Once again, Poverty & Prejudice

1) Girls don’t count. They are unwanted due to the costs involved in raising a girl. Infanticide and deliberate starvation are common

2) Lack of healthcare - including immunisation and a lack of Vitamin A which causes blindness in children

3) Sanitation and dehydration through lack of water4) Lack of education on how to care for the newborn – breastfeeding and

supplements.

Poverty & Prejudice

Poverty contributes to womens’ ill-health, but so does prejudice against women and girls. Yet it is crucial that women receive care and education – both for themselves and the effect on development. If a girl receives 6 years of schooling, this increases the rate of pre and postnatal child survival. Women’s education also gives her options to choose to have less children.

A Story from the Slums

Here is a story of challenges faced by mothers in caring for their children and how Tear Fund, through the Child Survival Programme, is helping them as they choose life.

Seema Giri comes from a disturbed family. When her daughter was born, her husband and parents-in-law threw the child into a well because they wanted a boy child instead of a girl. It was by God’s grace she survived. Seema was driven from her home. She lived on streets, begging for a living. She was taken back by her husband, but she had frequent fights at home. After she gave birth to twin boys, her family members were very happy. But there was no one to look after her, and she used to get tired looking after daily chores, and caring for the twins and her older daughter. We selected Seema for the Child Survival Programme because we wanted to help her improve the nutrition and healthy living for her and her children. After coming to the programme, Seema has learnt many things.

Now she is happier in her family life, and she can get help and support for her child from the Child Survival Programme. This also makes her husband feel happy, and he is very cooperative now. He no longer fights as much with Seema and takes good care of her and the children. Her twins were having slight problem in passing their urine, which has now been operated on through the programme. Her children are healthy and are enjoying the programme with other children.

Overcoming Poverty and Prejudice

TEAR Fund’s Christian partners provide:• Improved nutrition and supplements for both mother and child• Access to healthcare facilities and immunisations• Education and income generating skills• Family planning• Women’s empowerment and child advocacy and education programme