Heroes de la Fe Child Survival Program

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Child Survival Centers

Rescue Babies & Mothers

Heroes de la Fe Child Survival Program (Dominican Republic)
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

In the Dominican Republic, a high infant mortality rate is claiming the lives of babies. A vicious cycle of poverty is to blame.

Mothers in a small community in Santo Domingo get pregnant at a young age. This is due to a lack of education and opportunity. As a result, they are unable to deliver healthy babies.

Most of these infants will grow up with inadequate development. They will also be presented with a lack of education and opportunity. The cycle will repeat.

This is where Compassion's Child Survival Program (CSP) steps in. Located in Santo Domingo, this CSP is coming alongside mothers to help them deliver and raise a healthy baby.

Mothers in this CSP are taught:

  • how to take care of their babies
  • how to monitor the health of their babies
  • basic hygiene
  • safe food preparation
  • the importance of clean water

Mothers who attend this CSP receive nutritious food and vitamins as well as clean water, which are essential to the growth and development of their baby.

They also learn about Jesus and receive a Bible.

When you support this center you are not just sustaining the life of an infant, you are providing a chance for mothers and babies to thrive.

I'd like to commit to supporting this child survival center:

Support This Center >

$20 monthly

Meet Rufina and Josue

Rufina is nineteen-years-old and she is raising her 7-month-old son, Josue, by herself. They sleep in one bed while Rufina's cousin and her three children sleep in a second bed in the same small bedroom. The size of the house is around ten by five feet. The bathroom is outside in the yard to share with next-door neighbors.

Mostly, Rufina has been filled with sorrow. Josue's father came into her life while she was still young. They lived together for a while until Rufina discovered that he was married and had other children. He left Rufina to be with his wife and shortly after she found out she was pregnant.

Because of her pregnancy she lost her job and the place she was living. This is when she moved in with her cousin. This is also when she found the Child Survival Program.

The Child Survival Program helped monitor Rufina while she was pregnant and also gave her the nutritious food and vitamins she needed for a healthy pregnancy and delivery.

When Rufina was asked what she recently learned at the sessions held by the CSP she said, "In the church meetings, I have learned about hygiene. They gave us a sheet (like playground rug) that we should put on the floor and then have the baby play on it. And we have learned how we should talk to our children the right way."

Services this center provides:

  • Home visits
  • Group discussions
  • Bible studies
  • Nutritious food
  • Hygiene items
  • Pre- and postnatal care
  • Child care lessons
  • Job-skills training

When you support the Child Survival Program, your charity donation helps Compassion’s local partners reduce infant and child mortality by:

  • Preventing illness. Regular prenatal and postnatal checkups contribute greatly to healthy births. And regular doctor visits and immunizations keep infants and toddlers healthy and happy. 
  • Giving children a healthy start. Nutritious food staples and supplements help children grow and stay strong.
  • Providing training. Mother and caregiver training means children receive mental and physical stimulation activities to improve and develop motor skills, social-emotional skills and cognitive development.
  • Empowering mothers and caregivers. Infant development and safety, nutrition, literacy and job-training skills are just a few of the topics the Child Survival Program training includes.
  • Offering spiritual nurturing. Mothers establish relationships with Christian Survival Specialists through regular home visits. They also build relationships and a community of faith with other women through local group meetings.
  • Including family training. When possible, fathers and other family members living in the home are included in training to help build a stable, secure environment for the child.

I'd like to commit to supporting this child survival center:

Support This Center >

$20 monthly

 


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