Starting strong and setting our kids up to Flourish
In 2018, we embarked on a journey to truly understand the heartbeat of our community. Through a baseline study, we delved into the lives of our neighbours, discovering a stark reality: nearly 40% of children under the age of 10 were growing up in homes where the average income barely scraped R2000, with more than five souls crammed under one roof. It was a raw insight into the struggles many faced, opening our eyes to the myriad risks entwined with income poverty.
Then, just as we were grappling with these findings, the world was hit with Covid-19. A national study showed that the number of households unable to put food on the table grew from 21% before lockdown to a staggering 47% during the restrictions.
We’ve long known that the seeds of brain development are sown in the womb. Without nourished pregnancies, our children’s futures hang in the balance.
In 2021, we delved deeper, focusing specifically on nutritional stunting. Our research was sobering; more than a third of the youngsters in our communities, under the age of two, were stunted. the toll of nutritional stunting is a lifetime of struggles, compounded by cognitive hurdles, educational and employment roadblocks, and chronic diseases in adulthood.
Moms want to do what is best for their baby, but sometimes there are gaps in knowledge and a lack of supportive spaces for them to ask questions and get the advice. Flourish, a program funded by the Lesedi Solar Park Trust, focuses particularly on the importance of maternal health (including maternal mental health), exclusive breastfeeding, hygiene, and the importance of nutrition on a young child’s brain development and future potential. While clinical nutrition interventions are delivered through health facilities, behaviour change interventions that provide education, counselling, and support services to otherwise healthy clients are not readily available to most moms. Flourish fills this gap.
“Many young moms in our communities don’t know the basics,” explains Flourish Coordinator Surita Visagie.
“For example, many of them don’t know that up to one in four children in South africa are stunted, meaning that due to malnutrition in the womb and as infants, they will likely never reach their physical or cognitive potential,” says Surita. “We teach them the importance of supplements, nutrition, and breastfeeding. as a mother, I didn’t know how important breastfeeding was. I didn’t know about the first foods to introduce my child to, which is why I think it’s so important for each mom to have access to these classes. These moms want to do the best for their babies. Our role is to teach them how.”
The program focuses on empowering and celebrating moms. Expectant mothers receive comprehensive antenatal care, including education on pregnancy nutrition, breastfeeding, prenatal care, and coping mechanisms. These classes are delivered in a supportive and judgment-free environment to give mothers with knowledge and confidence.
New mothers benefit from postnatal classes focusing on infant care, breastfeeding support, immunisations, and early childhood development. Community health workers play a pivotal role in providing ongoing support and guidance to mothers during the critical postpartum period.
According to post-program surveys, more than 70% of mothers who attend the program change their behaviour as a result. Moms were especially impacted by what they learnt about self-care (which includes physical, emotional, and financial well-being) and responsive care (which includes nurturing, nutritional, and general care for their babies).
“[Following the classes] i am more relaxed,” said a 33-year-old mom. “I’ve learnt how to deal with my stress and how to eat healthy food. I’ve even learnt how to budget ahead of my baby’s arrival.”
The classes have been particularly impactful for teen moms who find a sense of support, sisterhood, and belonging in the groups; a great relief following the stigma of teen pregnancy.
“i was still in school when i fell pregnant,” shared a 14-year-old mom. “My Flourish group helped me so much.”
Through training and mentorship, entrepreneurial women, who are themselves mothers, are equipped with the knowledge and skills to deliver the Flourish program. They serve as trusted sources of information and support for mothers and, in the process, are able to establish social enterprises that earn an income. In 2023, this program was delivered by eight incredible women from our communities who, together, reached 530 new and expectant mothers in 2023.
The Flourish classes are subsidised by the Lesedi Solar Park Trust as part of the commitment to give every child the best start in life. We had hoped that mothers would see enough value to pay for the classes themselves, but the poverty levels in these communities and the reality that it takes time to generate demand for new innovations meant that we needed to subsidise the service. Flourish was designed as a social enterprise model in which hosts would earn a fee from moms who attend. this enables the sustainability of the program. We recognise that it is not sustainable for us to subsidise this work and we will be looking to the community to help keep this incredible service going by contributing to it.