Faith Kapanga was born on 21st Oct 2016. She was a healthy baby. She was her mother’s first child. When she was just one week old, her mother who was only 20 years old herself, died from a severe postpartum infection. In Malawi even babies born in excellent health face a high probability of dying when their mothers die. Families are too poor to afford formula, wet-nursing is frowned upon due to the risk of HIV transmission, and the government offers no support. Lucky for Faith, a neighbor had heard about the support offered by Joyful Motherhood and told her grandmother. At two weeks of age Faith’s grandmother arrived at the doorstep of Joyful Motherhood, and she was enrolled in our program. From that point forward, Joyful Motherhood nurses visited Faith in her village, supporting her and her grandmother by bringing formula and porridge, offering health education, and serving as a personal resource for their health needs. At the end of each visit, as eyes filled with joy and awe focus on Faith, her grandmother expresses her gratitude to the nurses and her pride in herself for the long road traversed.
