Mother-to-Mother Feeding Groups Fighting Malnutrition in South Sudan

Mother-to-Mother Feeding Groups

To combat malnutrition, GOAL is implementing a mother-to-mother feeding group approach in Kajo-Keji County using generous funding from the European Union and Irish Aid. Mother-to-mother feeding groups are a preventative measure aimed at improving community participation in adequate child nutrition practices.

50% of South Sudan’s population lacks access to safe, potable water for drinking, cooking and sanitation. The absence of clean water allows contagious and water-borne diseases to spread at an alarming rate.

Infants and young children – especially ones suffering from malnutrition – are highly vulnerable to these diseases. To reduce child morbidity and mortality, a proactive approach to preventing and combating malnutrition is essential.

GOAL teams implemented mother-to-mother feeding groups in six GOAL-supported health facilities in Kajo-Keji County. The groups consist of 12 to 17 mothers who receive training on child-feeding best practices, food hygiene, and administering psychosocial support.

These mothers are responsible for engaging members of their community on the prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT), maternal, infant, and young child nutrition (MIYCN), and infant and young child feeding (IYCF) practices.

Mother-to-mother feeding groups in Kajo-Keji giving a lesson on maternal, infant, and young child nutrition (MIYCN).

Diko’s Story

Diko is a member of her local mother-to-mother feeding group. The 32-year-old widow and mother of three never completed primary school. Prior to receiving training in child nutrition, Diko routinely struggled to meet her children’s basic dietary needs. Now, Diko cultivates her own kitchen garden to grow healthy, nutritious food for her family.

As a member of her local mother-to-mother support group, Diko teaches other mothers how to cultivate their own kitchen gardens. When the programme officially ended last December, Diko continued to teach mothers in her community about kitchen gardening using the seeds and tools she received from GOAL, funded by the European Union and Irish Aid.

Diko’s mother-to-mother group also encourages pregnant women to give birth to their babies in a healthcare centre instead of at home to prevent disease transmission during delivery. Other areas of focus for the group are breastfeeding and family planning best practices.

Mother-to-mother feeding group members, Diko and Kiden, receiving seeds and gardening supplies from GOAL.

Kiden’s Story

Kiden, a 27-year-old mother of two, is a member of her local mother-to-mother feeding group. She never completed primary school and earns a living by farming vegetables with her husband. They sell their produce at a local market to pay for their children’s school fees.

When Kiden joined her local mother-to-mother support group, she learned how to cultivate her own kitchen garden and use the produce to cook a healthy, nutritious meal for her children. Now, Kiden knows how to prepare a nursery bed, transplant seedlings, apply pesticides, and harvest crops.

“The kitchen garden initiative has empowered mothers to prepare nutritious local recipes from assorted vegetables,” Kiden says. “We are so happy about all these new diets. They greatly help our children to grow healthy.”

Before Kiden joined the mother-to-mother support group, her four-year-old child was malnourished and was admitted to a GOAL-supported nutrition clinic for treatment. Now, Kiden is confident that her newfound knowledge and skills in child feeding will mean that her child will never require treatment for malnutrition again.

“I appreciated the solidarity we have built in the group, such that if one of us comes to the group feeling low due to family pressures and challenges, we encourage each other to overcome them,” she explains.

“I have made friends within the group, and we continue to share support for each other and other mothers in the community. This would not have been possible without the support of GOAL and its [donors]. I’m so happy for the support.”

Learn more about GOAL’s work in South Sudan. 

Mother-to-mother feeding group member, Kiden, harvesting produce from her kitchen garden.