Sunita encourages other mothers to become good parents

Thank you for gifting a year of parenting classes to Sunita.

Sunita is one of the most proactive mothers at the AIC Mother-Baby class!  She decided to join when she gave birth to her son, Addesh, almost a year ago, and dutifully attends the weekly classes with other mothers and their young children.  Although she only attended school until the 4th standard, Sunita has always worked hard to improve her and her family’s lot in life in any way she can.  Her husband sells old clothes on the side of the road, earning about 3,000 rupees ($60) every month, which makes it hard for the family to get ahead.

Sunita is an attentive mother to her oldest two children, ages 9 and 10, but has learned a lot and become more mature since they were born when she was just a teenager.  Now, by attending the Mother-Baby class, she is learning many things she wishes she had known the first two times around!

Sunita and her classmates participate in social worker- and health worker-guided group discussions and activities, including the occasional field trip, and cover topics ranging from birth spacing and family planning to dietary needs of their children to vaccination schedules and parenting techniques.  While the mothers discuss the topic of the week, the children play, interact and eat snacks of milk and fruit.  On their way out, the mothers receive small gifts (toiletry items like a bottle of baby powder, a bar of soap, a small bottle of baby shampoo) to reward good attendance and provide them with some important hygiene items so that they can take care of their little ones.  Sunita has been an active participant in the classes, and even encourages other mothers in her slum neighborhood to join so that they and their children can also reap the benefits!