Junior was born with low birth weight (2400g) to a vulnerable teenage mother who soon developed mastitis, severely impacting breastfeeding and causing Junior's weight to drop to 2100g. After a community health worker's intervention led to their enrollment in a MAMI pathway at a local health center, Junior was eventually referred and admitted to Metuge District Hospital for severe acute malnutrition, receiving F-100 treatment and comprehensive care for seven days. Following discharge, he continued monitoring at a MAMI space with ongoing nutritional and breastfeeding support, while his mother participated in support sessions. The family, initially believing Junior wouldn't survive due to cultural beliefs, witnessed his full recovery, transforming his grandmother into a community health volunteer, highlighting the success of health education, community support, and nutrition interventions.
Junior was born with a low birth weight to a teenage mother with some mental disorders in a socially vulnerable environment. He was born in the maternity ward of the Nanlia Health Center on February 3, 2025, weighing 2,400 grams, and a few days after the birth, already at home, his young mother began to feel severe pain in her breasts, which developed into even more painful sores, clear signs of mastitis, an infection that seriously compromised her ability to breastfeed.
During a home visit conducted by a community health worker (CHW), after the baby's grandmother, shared the concern about the condition of her daughter and grandson, the CHW promptly provided the necessary support with pastes to relieve the inflammation and pain, advised her to continue breastfeeding with the other breast and referred her to the health center.
The mother's condition, which prevented her from breastfeeding the child properly for a few days, compromised the progress of Junior’s weight, which went from 2400g (birth weight) to 2100g by February 20th, the date on which he was enrolled in the Management of at-risk Infants under-6-months and their mothers (MAMI) pathway linked to the service/consultation for children at-risk at the Nanlia health center. Both were followed there during the interregnum period when attempts were being made to persuade young Rosa to be referred to a larger hospital unit with inpatient capacity, as she refused and Junior’s weight remained stagnant. On February 27th, following a joint awareness raising effort supported by Rosa’s mother and aunt, Junior was finally quickly referred to the Metuge District Hospital for growth failure, where he was admitted on March 1st.
At Metuge District Hospital, Junior was assessed by the nutrition team, who confirmed the diagnosis of low birth weight and found him to be suffering from severe acute malnutrition. The medical team decided to admit him for hospital care and began treatment with F-100 therapeutic milk. He was hospitalized for seven days, during which time the mother and child received medical care, MHPSS, and guidance on hygiene, nutrition, and childcare.
After discharge, Junior was referred to the MAMI space in the Ntokota community, where he continued to be monitored and benefited from a comprehensive package of interventions, including immunization, weekly nutritional assessments, and ongoing breastfeeding support. In addition, the mother actively participated in support sessions for teenage mothers, led by the community midwife, where she received physical, psychological, and practical advice on infant care, including on proper implementation of the Kangaroo Method, complemented by mentoring during regular home visits.
The grandmother and other family members, now visibly moved, share their joy with a smile captured in the photograph below. It is important to note that they confess that they believed the baby was an “Unhala” a term in Emakhuwa used for thin or underweight infants, often associated with cultural beliefs linked to early postpartum sexual relations or hereditary diseases. They admit that they had no hope that the baby would survive.
First testimony from the family: "We refused at first when the activist and the nurses advised taking him to the hospital because we thought he wouldn't get better. But after just one week of treatment at the District Hospital, I saw changes. Now, at six months old, I see my grandson big, strong, and healthy. I can only thank the whole team, starting from the activist to the nurses of the MAMI project from Save the Children and the staff of the District Hospital" says the grandmother, happily.
The family’s commitment made all the difference. The mother regularly attended follow-up appointments, learned how to take better care of her child, and overcame early breastfeeding challenges with the support of the peer support group.
Now, with Junior health and thriving, the grandmother has become a true community health volunteer, ready to support other families:
Second testimony from the family (grandmother) “If another baby is born in my family or among neighbors, I promise to follow the health workers’ recommendations. And I’m ready to help other mothers going through the same situation.”
The family of seven members (four children and three adults, all subsistence farmers) now represents a living story of resilience and transformation through health education, community support, and effective nutrition interventions.
