A look inside a Light Mother's kit

Dear Friend,

In Mwaro province, Burundi, amazing mothers like Claudine are volunteering their time to share life-saving skills and knowledge with other mothers in their communities.

Burundi is one of the hungriest countries in the world. And with the climate crisis worsening, it's becoming increasingly difficult for families to feed their children. That's where Mamans Lumières, or Light Mothers, like Claudine come in.

“I most enjoy training and teaching other mothers like me how to eat nutritious food by adding vegetables to their meals. If they can’t afford vegetables, we train them how to plant kitchen gardens around their homes. This helps them to get vegetables easily without going too far.”

Claudine, Light Mother, Burundi

It starts with Claudine…

With a specialist kit and training from Ripple Effect, Light Mothers like Claudine teach other mothers how to grow food on their small plots of land and the best ways to prepare nutritious meals for their children. They also advise on family planning and help promote good hygiene and sanitation at home.

Here's just some of the items Light Mothers use to support mothers and their children:

MUAC band

A mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) band is one of the simplest ways to identify malnutrition in children under the age of five years.

The band is wrapped around the middle part of a child’s upper arm and is color coded red, yellow and green. The color that shows indicates the level of malnutrition. MUAC bands help determine whether a child needs to be referred to the nearest hospital for treatment.

Leaflets

Training guides, leaflets and posters provide vital information on nutrition, home hygiene and breastfeeding.

Thermometer

A thermometer is a vital piece of equipment. Malnourished children can often have a lower body temperature.

Notebook

Each mother supported received a notebook where they can track their children's progress over time.

Light Mothers are a ray of hope for rural communities, shining a light on child
hunger and equipping other mothers with the skills and knowledge they need to fight malnutrition.

You can learn more about the amazing work of Light Mothers like Claudine and ways to support them by clicking here.

With best wishes,

Ladislas Barakamfitiye
Project Facilitator

Ripple Effect Burundi

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Ripple Effect is a registered 501c3 charity in the United States.

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