It’s a cold morning in Ecuador’s mountainous Tungurahua region, where a group of indigenous mothers and, often, fathers meet weekly in the Santa Rosa village community centre. This time they’ve come to talk about an important topic for the healthy development of their infants: breastfeeding.
The ChildFund-trained guide mother shares with the group, which includes about 15 mothers, proven best practices and other information on how breastfeeding can make a world of difference for their babies.
Mothers then break into groups to discuss and reflect on key messages the guide mother shared, including “breast milk is natural and is the best for your baby; there’s no substitute,” and “only love can exceed the benefits of breast milk.”
In a small community in northern Ecuador, we find Samira (pictured above), a cheerful and lively two-year-old girl who lives with her mother, Diana, and her grandparents, Maria and Miguel.
Maria and Diana participate in ChildFund`s early childhood development programs in their community. Diana has participated since she was pregnant, and when her baby girl was born, she already knew Samira needed the right kind of food.
Maria tells us that Samira is the family`s ‘guinea pig’ because they put into practice everything they have learnt through ChildFund in raising her.
“My daughter does not get sick as other children do,” says Diana. “When the other children had a strong flu, she didn`t get it. She is a very healthy girl. She likes to eat soup. She really likes beans and corn, and she eats all kinds of fruits.”
The ChildFund-supported livelihoods project in their community means Samira has access to her healthy diet thanks to the family`s backyard garden. In her 30-square-metre plot, Maria cultivates a variety of fruits and vegetables. These form the basis of the family`s diet and keep young Samira happy and healthy as she grows.
