Although maternal and infant nutrition across Ghana has improved significantly, it remains a major challenge for families. The latest data shows that around 24 per cent of children under the age of five suffer from some form of malnutrition. Many women and caregivers have limited knowledge and access to information about child feeding practices and how to prepare nutritious foods.
Because childhood malnutrition can lead to lifelong complications, The Hunger Project works with women in more than 450 rural communities to transform the health of their babies. Through training, health exams, and support groups, mothers can learn from each other and from trained professionals how to properly feed their babies.
Meet three women who are driving change for women and children in their communities.
Priscilla
Priscilla, a mother of three, was inspired to become a mother and child support group facilitator after witnessing the positive effects of exclusive breastfeeding in her community. Priscilla heads one of her 50 support groups established in partnership with The Hunger Project and the Ghana Health Service.
“The incidence of malnutrition is high in my community, so after training as a facilitator, I not only provide counseling to community members, but also lead by example by practicing how to optimally feed babies. I decided to take it upon myself to become a girl. [15 months] From my childhood to now,” Priscilla said.
“With the support of my family, I received counseling and follow-up visits from other animators.” [trained community volunteers, like Priscilla] Thanks to my health care workers, I was able to exclusively breastfeed my baby and was only able to feed him at 6 months of age while breastfeeding.
“I plan to breastfeed him until he’s 2 years old. I couldn’t do the same for my other children because I didn’t have the support and lacked the information.”
The benefits of breastfeeding your infant within the first six months of life are immense. Breast milk contains nutrients that help maintain a healthy weight and prevent disease. Since The Hunger Project began working with these communities, exclusive breastfeeding practices and knowledge have increased from 59.78% to 81.54%.
As of 2024, over 490,000 people have been impacted by health and nutrition information sessions. Priscilla aims to increase this number. She does this by sharing her breastfeeding success stories with community members. She said it was easy to exclusively breastfeed for six months. It was easier for her to introduce solid foods like poton poto, a rich yam porridge made with locally available ingredients.
The saying “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 set an example for new mothers and change the health of the next generation.
Anita
Anita is a new mother of a 6-month-old boy. After the birth of her son, community-based animators trained in feeding infants and young children began meeting with Anita frequently. They shared proper breastfeeding techniques along with information about the nutritional benefits of breast milk.
“Malnutrition is very common in my community,” Anita said. “Most people who lose babies die because of underlying health conditions and malnutrition.”
The counseling sessions Anita attended during her pregnancy and the support she felt from the nurses and animators who regularly visited her home after giving birth motivated Anita to exclusively breastfeed her child until he reached six months of age. I gave it. Anita felt that her breastfeeding was the key to her baby’s health.
Anita plans to start feeding her baby solid foods soon. She plans to prepare local dishes she learned from food demonstrations hosted by The Hunger Project in the community. Over 600 food demonstration exercises and educational sessions have been held across Ghana.
Access to nutritional knowledge is essential for communities to thrive. As Anita proved, with access to information and support from health care providers, mothers can create the conditions for their children to thrive.
jennifer
Jennifer is a mother of two and attended The Hunger Project’s nutritional counseling sessions during her second pregnancy. She learned how best to feed her newborn and was able to make decisions for herself. Jennifer chose to exclusively breastfeed her second child.
Shortly after she started breastfeeding, Jennifer began to feel weak. She shared her own concerns with her husband. She thought her child was eating too much.
“My husband and I were just talking yesterday about introducing food to our second child, who is 4 months old,” Jessica said. She hoped that introducing solid foods would ease the strain on her body and make her 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 breastfeeding mothers to eat well while exclusively breastfeeding.
After the session, Jennifer admitted that she may not have been eating enough to breastfeed. “Now, practicing exclusive breastfeeding, I realize that the reason I always felt weak was not because I wasn’t eating enough and not getting enough sleep to have energy. I understand.”
Information sessions like the one Jennifer attended can help women address any breastfeeding complications they may 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 and the health of their children.
The Hunger Project works to break the cycle of malnutrition and create a world without hunger. Its work transforms the systems of inequality that sustain these cycles, especially for women. For more information, please visit thp.org.
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