Improve Health for Mothers and Babies in Myanmar

On World Refugee Day 2019 the global call is to Step up with Refugees. With your support RIJ continues to do this and the Baby Kit project reaches out to more people than the new mothers who receive the kits. The project provides opportunities for community health workers as well.

With displacement continuing in Karen State, Myanmar it can be difficult for community workers to access displaced communities and ascertain their needs. Bringing the Baby kits develops trust between the health workers and the local population thus enabling them to see the conditions within the makeshift camps and learn the needs of the people.

One community leader said: "Because we are able to distribute Baby Kits our community and mothers and babies benefit while they are in difficult circumstances. Even if some mothers only received a few items, the whole family feels better. We hope this project will continue and expand."

Infant mortality rates have already dropped in Ee Htu Hta displacement camp so this shows that the rates elsewhere can also be reduced. The ripple effect will ensure this because the women who received the kits and the health instructions will often pass this knowledge on to other mothers, many of whom would not have access to this information otherwise. So far entire communities across 7 districts in the Karen State have been reached with over 3,500 people receiving the vital health and hygiene training as well as the material support that can ensure the physical wellbeing of future generations.

One mother said: "I am very happy that I joined the awareness raising session and I feel like I can share this information with other women so that it will help other babies. There are still stereotypes in our community, which will need constant health awareness raising to reduce this kinds of wrong thinking."

Thank you for stepping up with refugees!

January 2019 marked the 70th year of conflict between the Burmese army and the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA). A dispute that has affected thousands of innocent villagers. The conflict has severe repercussions on daily life preventing people from farming and pursuing education. A beneficiary in this Health project said: “Every two or three months the Burmese army attacked our village, we had to run and hide in the forest, the Burmese army burnt our village and school, when they left, we came back and rebuilt our houses and school again.”

The Baby Kit and Health Care program continues to bring comfort and much-needed support to families as people struggle to maintain some normality.

Karen mothers in displaced communities have faced difficulty in raising their children safely as the items in the kits are not widely available to them. In addition, the information given in the health message allows for expectant mothers to properly prepare them to care for their babies.

Old traditions and lack of health education have held women back in raising their babies in the best manner possible. Over the years the project has allowed more than 2000 women and their babies to have a better future. Another beneficiary said “This is the first time I can clean my baby with soap, and I can see she is happy and healthy. I hope the project will continue to help other mothers and babies.”

Your donations are key to continue providing comfort and hope for so many.