Hope Begins With Each New Life
For those who haven’t visited us in rural Kenya lately, this post is the third of a six-part series that will update and inform you about our ministry’s incredible expansion over the last few years. Please tune in daily as we highlight our work in Kenya. Today’s focus is our MTOTO Early Childhood Program.
mtoto /m‘tō tō / (noun); Swahili – baby, child
For real change to take root in Kenya, we must target ample resources at the early development of its most vulnerable citizens. Our MTOTO (Mother-Toddler-One-To-One) program links a trained nurse to newly pregnant mothers, helping to shepherd them successfully through this period via routine home visits until the baby is 2. This nurse provides valuable counsel and resources for prenatal care, normal birthing, healthy breastfeeding, infant nutrition, child developmental stages, optimal parenting, and the importance of a language-rich environment. We also include a 12-week training for new parents that covers other key childcare topics in a community group setting. Finally, our home early reading program brings literacy training and age- appropriate books to families.
In short, we believe that building leaders starts on day one, by empowering mothers with the knowledge and resources to raise healthy babies and toddlers.
“Early childhood development is one of the most cost- effective investments a country can make to build human capital and promote sustainable development.” – UNICEF
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