Maya’s chance to be a great mother

Maya is the mother of three children – two sons aged 7 and 9, and a daughter, Sonal, who just turned one. As a child, Maya never had the chance to go to school, and her husband only studied until the third grade, so it is difficult for them to find jobs other than hawking old cloth items, through which they have a combined income of between 3000 and 4000 rupees ($60 to $80) per month, depending on the season. Maya was a very young mother when she had her sons, and often felt very insecure and unsure of how to best take care of them, particularly during their infant and toddler years.

Now that she has had the experience of raising her boys, as well as time to mature and grow into a woman instead of the scared teenager she was when she initially became a mother, she sees her young daughter, Sonal, as an opportunity to start again. So that she can raise her daughter with as much wisdom and support as possible, Maya also decided to join the AIC Mommy-Baby class, which meets on a weekly basis. The class is designed to teach women about the dietary needs of their children, baby growth and development, birth spacing and family planning, communication and relationships within the family, good parenting practices and many other topics through structured discussions led by local professionals, specialists and health workers.

Maya enjoys the sessions because they are interactive and engaging, and she has the chance to bond with other mothers of similarly aged children over their shared experiences. She and Sonal also receive small gift items (soap, shampoo, etc) for their good attendance, as well as regular access to the on-site doctor to answer all of Maya’s questions. With all of this support, Maya feels much more prepared and confident this time around!

Thank you, Howard (x2), James and Mike and Suzanne, for coming together to provide a year of parenting classes to Maya. This will not only help make her raise her children better, it will empower her to be a more useful member of the community.