posyandu

In 2017 when we started our project in three Songan elementary schools, we discovered significant concentration and learning capacity problems directly connected with infant stunting.

This issue is related to the literacy level of the mothers. Marrying at a young age, they don’t know when to deliver the right food to their children. Being field workers, they wean the children early and put them on formula for only 12 – 18 months. Solids are not introduced into the diet early, leading to infant malnutrition and stunting.

Identifying the most vulnerable families with infants and toddlers is essential. Through their scholarship survey program, Bali Children Foundation is well placed to do this and act. Throughout 2022, twenty most vulnerable families will receive monthly nutritious food packs for their younger children.

In collaboration with Kartika Soekarno Foundation, we revitalised the work of Posyandu (Mother and Infant Baby Healthcare) in Songan, Bangli. Investing in the first thousand days of a child’s life is crucial because it makes a direct impact on their growth until adulthood.

Posyandus are run in three banjars in the village in turn every week: Banjar Dalem, Banjar Tung Tung and Banjar Tabu. At the Posyandu, the infants get weighed and their height checked.

They receive vitamins, worm medicine and vaccinations. We give cooking classes to teach the mothers about nutrition, cooking, and when to deliver the right foods to their children. In March, we gave 20 scholarship students food relief to give the infants good nutrition.

With Kartika Soekarno Foundation looking after the toddlers, Bali Children Foundation can focus on the students’ education from elementary school, junior high, senior high, and tertiary. This collaborative work can create an incredible outcome for a child, their family and the community.