By Katie Chalk, World Vision Australia
Monique was at home and pregnant with her fourth child when the earthquake struck. Fortunately, she managed to rush out of her house in the nick of time. She gave birth to little Jeferson shortly after.
“I didn’t feel well,” says Monique Pierre, “but I didn’t want to disturb anyone. I didn’t know who to ask for help. So I just went into the tent on my own. It was not so bad – he came quickly.”
It wasn’t until the baby started crying that her neighbours, only a few metres away, found out she’d given birth. Little Jeferson was born on the ground, with nobody but his mother to help him ease into life, but he finally managed to get access to a hospital after he was three days old when the World Vision staff discovered Monique’s plight during one of their household visits.
Jeferson’s story isn’t unique – babies are born every day in the camp, as there is no time or transport to the hospital. Also, the first few days after delivery are the most dangerous for both mother and child.
As an experienced mother, Monique was already breastfeeding Jeferson, but his eyes were badly infected due to the dirt or germs picked up during birth and other unhygienic conditions afterwards. The World Vision team organised for both of them to go to hospital for checkup and treatment.
“Since then, I’ve been going to the World Vision clinic here at the camp,” says Monique. “It took a little while but he is much better.”
Jeferson’s eyes are still healing. He blinks and shies away from sunlight in his eyes, but in the shade he is an alert baby, focusing on faces, especially his mother’s. He is starting to grip with his little fists, and Monique says she has had no trouble feeding him.
She has also made friends through her connections with other mothers. Once a week she attends a World Vision mother’s club at the camp, where new mothers talk about their experiences, learn about healthcare for themselves and their children, and are encouraged to enjoy their babies.
The mother’s club is run by World Vision’s health workers Mislie and Marie, who also conduct the morning visits. They know all the mothers here. The sessions are carried out daily but for different age groups on different days. There are also sessions for expecting mothers, so that no other woman in this camp will feel the isolation of giving birth alone.
The meetings are held in a large World Vision tent. In the mornings the tent provides a protective environment for Child-Friendly Space activities for children over five. World Vision also conducts regular sessions in the tent for new mothers who are shy or hesitant to breastfeed.
After the Child-Friendly Space programme ends in the morning, the canvas walls of the tent are rolled up to encourage all to attend the afternoon session at the mother’s club. The women’s children sit and play together while the group discussions take place.
“Let’s introduce ourselves!” calls out Mislie. “I’ll start. My name is Mislie, I’m the World Vision health coordinator here, and ... if I were an animal, I would be a ... cow! And I would say this to you. Mooo!”
This simple game is enough to make the younger children roll in fits of giggles. Someone chooses a goat, and another a dove. One woman chooses a hen, because she says it’s the right animal for keeping her children together. Her clucks are so convincing that the mothers laugh and clap their appreciation.
Though simple, there’s more to this game than meets the eye. One important aspect of the mothers’ clubs is the way it addresses the psycho-social needs of the mothers and their children. The challenges of daily life in the camp, coupled with the memories of the earthquake and what each woman here has lived through has the potential to cause severe stress, tension or depression.
“For me, life feels hard all the time now,” says Monique. “It is not easy to find good things to talk about. We need to carry the water up here twice a day, and none of us have enough food.”
Here at the mother’s club though, the women have found something good to cling to in the midst of their daily struggles – their babies, their friendships and a chance to relax and have fun.
The results can be seen in babies like Jeferson – despite having one of the toughest first days imaginable, he’s healthy, happy and loved.
“That’s one good thing for me,” says Monique.
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