Sponsor a Mother and change a child's life

The first 1,000 days of a child’s life – the time between conception and a child’s second birthday – are a time of incredible potential but immense vulnerability.

Research has shown that how well mother and child are nourished during this critical phase of life has a profound effect on a child’s future.

The brain begins to develop during the first 1000 days and poor nutrition during this period can cause irreversible damage – affecting a child’s ability to do well in school and earn a good living in adulthood.  It also sets a child up for ill health in later life with diabetes, obesity and other chronic health problems connected with poor nutrition in this early phase of life.

A child which is well nourished when its brain’s building blocks are coming together has the chance of a fair start in life, a healthy future and the opportunity to break from inter-generational cycle of poverty.

CINIs Sponsor a Mother Programme focuses in on the first 1000 days of life so a child can get the start in life that they need. 

We work intensively with a mother and family members to educate them about the importance of supporting the mother during pregnancy, and teach everyone in the household about what needs to be done to ensure a safe delivery and how government hospitals and public health facilities can be accessed.

Our team make sure the mother is getting the supplements, nourishment and antenatal support she needs during pregnancy, and they are on hand to provide advice support when it’s needed.

Our programme continues for two years after a baby is born with CINIs health visitor first providing post-natal care to mother and child.   After this initial phase of support CINI health workers regularly visit the mother to check up on her and her child’s progress, make sure everything is progressing as it should, the child’s vaccinations are up to date and government support schemes are being accessed.

For £10 a month, you can sponsor a mother and her child and give them the nourishment they need to break free from the cycle of inter-generational poverty.

Sponsors are linked to a mother and her baby and are able to follow their progress through a series of updates. 

Your first report will explain the actions that have been taken by CINI to help ensure a healthy foundation is created for mother and child during pregnancy.  Another report is sent after her child is born with subsequent reports on the child’s birthdays.

CINI saved my life: Sakira’s story

“CINI helped save my life.  When I discovered I was pregnant again I was terrified because I had miscarried before and it hard to find help. I didn’t want to go through that alone again.

.A CINI health worker came to my home and told me and my husband about everything we needed to know to keep me and the baby healthy. She registered me with a health centre and advised me to attend for regular check-ups and to take iron and folic acid pills.

 Later in my pregnancy CINI encouraged my husband to help me do heavy daily chores such as fetching water and washing clothes so my workload was reduced. They even spoke to my mother-in-law so that she became extremely caring”

 My family decided on a hospital delivery, and that probably saved my life because I had to have a caesarean section, so I was thankful. I hope our beautiful baby Firdausi will grow up into a strong and healthy woman.”