Cedarbrook Community Church, thank you for supporting Compassion Survival at KAG Githunguchu Church in Kenya. Your generosity is making a difference in the lives of 15 mothers and their babies who are receiving Survival support at KAG Githunguchu Church Child Development Center. In the photo above, a caregiver and her infant harvest carrots from their home vegetable garden. Compassion Survival provided seeds to all of the caregivers at this center so that they could enjoy nutritious vegetables and generate income from the sale of surplus vegetables.
Mothers and babies in Compassion Survival benefit from spiritual support, medical care, and informative workshops on child development, microenterprise and other topics. This update contains Survival statistics from KAG Githunguchu Church and photos of recent activities at the center.
Survival Statistics at KAG Githunguchu Church (July – December 2020)
-
- 28 mothers and their babies received Survival support
-
- 7 Compassion-assisted births
-
- 100% of babies were born at a healthy weight
-
- 2 babies on average, per month, were treated for malnutrition
A Letter From Eunice, a Caregiver at KAG Githunguchu Church
Greetings in the Name of Jesus,
My name is Eunice and I am 24 years old. I am married to Jeremiah and have two children. My son Patrick is one month old and registered in the survival program.
My husband is a casual laborer and earns $2.50 per day. When my husband isn’t working, he farms our small piece of land where we plant maize and beans. We live in a house with two rooms and we are trusting God for a better one. I am a housewife and my main job is taking care of our children. I had to stop schooling after the eighth grade because my parents could not afford to pay school fees. I became pregnant when I was very young and the man responsible for the pregnancy refused to take responsibility of the child.
-
- Eunice and her baby, Patrick
I am thankful to be married to Jeremiah and we have a beautiful, healthy baby. I was registered in the Survival program when I was eight months pregnant. I had not attended prenatal clinics and the Survival staff referred me to a health center. After one month, I gave birth to a bouncing baby boy and the project covered the medical bill. I had planned to give birth at home since I did not have insurance and my husband had no money. The project staff visited me in hospital and also at home. They trained me on how to take care of my newborn. They also advised me on the importance of exclusive breastfeeding which I am practicing today.
The project gave me 10 chicks and vegetable seeds to help me start an income-generating activity. The vegetables and eggs provide nutrition and can also be a source of income to make me self-supporting. Today my boy is four weeks old and I am happy that the project staff visits me at home for growth monitoring and curriculum lessons. I also received a welcome kit and clothes for my newborn and I am very grateful to God.
The Survival program provides nutritional food supplements so that I can exclusively breastfeed for six months. The staff taught me to prepare a healthy diet with inexpensive local foods. I am very grateful to God for providing such a program in this community because it has really been of great impact. Mothers are able to meet and share experiences. My self esteem has increased and I really thank God. May God richly reward you for impacting lives.
Yours faithfully,
Eunice
Recent Survival Program Activities at KAG Githunguchu Church
-
- A Survival staff member visits a new mother during breastfeeding week. Home visits are an important part of Compassion Survival. During home visits, staff encourage mothers, answer questions and build friendships.
-
- Mothers in the Survival program receive Bibles. The Survival center offers Bible studies and workshops on child development, nutrition, and many other topics.
-
- A new mother receives a welcome kit containing supplies for her newborn.