Though there has been significant improvements in maternal and early childhood nutrition throughout Ghana, it remains a major challenge for families. About 24 percent of children under five face some sort of malnutrition, according to the most recent data. Many women and caregivers have limited knowledge and access to information about child feeding practices or how to prepare nutritious foods.
Malnutrition in childhood can lead to a lifetime of complications—so The Hunger Project is teaming up with women in over 450 rural communities to transform the health of their babies. Through trainings, health screenings and support groups, mothers are able to learn from one another and from trained experts how to ensure their babies are properly nourished.
Meet three women who are driving change for women and children in their community.
Priscilla
Priscilla, a mother of three, was inspired to become a mother-to-mother support group facilitator after witnessing the positive effects of exclusive breastfeeding in her community. Priscilla leads one of the 50 support groups that have been established in partnership with The Hunger Project and the Ghana Health Service.
“Due to the high incidence of malnutrition in my community, I decided to take it upon myself, after being trained as a facilitator, not only to counsel my community members but also to serve as a role model by practicing how to optimally feed my baby girl [15 months] through infancy until now,” Priscilla said.
“With the support of my family, counseling and follow-up visits from other animators [trained community volunteers, like Priscilla] and health workers, I was able to successfully exclusively breastfeed my baby and only introduce food at 6 months whilst still breastfeeding.
“I plan to breastfeed till she turns 2 years old. I couldn’t do the same for my other children as there was no support and also due to lack of information.”
The benefits of breastfeeding infants in the first six months of life are monumental. Breast milk contains nutrients that promote a healthy weight and prevent illness. Since The Hunger Project started working with these communities, the practice and knowledge of exclusive breastfeeding has increased from 59.78 percent to 81.54 percent.
As of 2024, over 490,000 people have been impacted by health and nutrition information sessions. Priscilla aims to increase this number. She will do it by sharing her breastfeeding success story with community members. She noted exclusively breastfeeding for six months was easy. Introducing solid food like ‘mpotompoto,’ a thick yam porridge made with locally-available ingredients, was easier.
The phrase “it takes a village to raise a child” rings true for members of Priscilla’s community. As a Mother-to-Mother facilitator, Priscilla hopes to become a role model to new mothers and transform the health of the next generation.
Anita
Anita is a new mother to a 6-month-old boy. After the birth of her son, animators trained in community-based infant and young child feeding would frequently meet with Anita. They shared proper breastfeeding techniques, alongside information about the nutritional benefits of breast milk.
“Malnutrition is very common in my community,” Anita shared. “Most people who lose their babies do so as a result of malnutrition coupled with underlying conditions.”
The counseling sessions Anita attended during her pregnancy and support she felt from the nurses and animators who regularly visited her at home after birth motivated Anita to exclusively breastfeed until her child reached 6 months of age. Anita felt breastfeeding was key to her baby’s health.
Anita will soon begin introducing solid food to her baby. She plans to prepare local dishes learned from food demonstrations The Hunger Project has hosted in her community. Throughout Ghana, there have been over 600 food demonstration exercises and educational sessions.
Accessible nutrition knowledge is imperative for communities to flourish. As Anita has proven, access to information and support from healthcare providers allows mothers to create the conditions for their children to thrive.
Jennifer
Jennifer is a mother of two who participated in The Hunger Project’s nutrition counseling sessions during her second pregnancy. She was able to learn and decide herself the best way to nourish her newborn. Jennifer chose to exclusively breastfeed her second child.
Shortly after beginning to breastfeed, Jennifer started to feel weak. She shared with her husband her concerns—she believed her child may have been feeding too much.
“I discussed with my husband just yesterday to introduce my second born child, who is 4 months old, to food,” Jessica shared. She hoped that introducing solid foods would reduce the strain on her body and help her feel stronger.
After attending a child welfare clinic hosted by The Hunger Project and the Ghana Health Service, Jennifer was advised to change her diet. Counselors advise nursing mothers to eat well whilst practicing exclusive breastfeeding.
After the session, Jennifer acknowledged she may not have been eating enough to breastfeed. “I now know that, practicing exclusive breastfeeding wasn’t the reason why I always felt weak but my lack of eating well to get energy, as well as proper sleep, accounted for that.’’
Information sessions like the one Jennifer attended help address all possible breastfeeding complications women face. Jennifer’s story shows that when women have access to support systems they can make educated decisions about their own health and well-being, as well as the health of their children.
The Hunger Project is committed to breaking the cycle of malnutrition to create a world without hunger. Its work transforms the systems of inequity that keep these cycles in place, particularly for women. To learn more, visit thp.org.
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