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Mothers are stretching every dollar — and still finding ways to care for their families
They are taking on debt, cutting back on personal medical care, delaying rent payments and skipping meals so their kids can eat. Federal cuts are poised to make things worse.
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Aid Cuts Could Result in A Child Under Five Dying Every Forty Seconds by 2030, Says Oxfam
One of Oxfam’s latest reports says that a child under five may die every forty seconds by 2030 due to these drastic cuts to humanitarian aid. This is especially heartbreaking as global humanitarian efforts have saved more newborn and child lives, and the data proves it.
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5 Organizations Whose Work I’ve Seen and Deserve Your Donations
During the holidays, one of the gifts my late mother gave to each of her children was a donation to a worthy cause made in our individual names. Every year, I looked forward to learning which organization she had chosen. It was one of the most creative and meaningful gifts she ever gave us. If…
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Gates Highlights the Rise in Child Deaths Amid Global Health Cuts
Today, the Gates Foundation released its annual Goalkeepers report that tracks the progress of the Sustainable Development Goals. This year’s report, We Can’t Stop at Almost, highlights the growing number of child deaths given the recent cuts to global health funding.
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New Law Bans Child Marriage in Sierra Leone
Photo by Majkl Velner on Unsplash This month Sierra Leone banned child marriage and laid out severe punishments for those engaging in marrying girls and boys off before their 18th birthday. 30 percent of girls in Sierra Leone are married before 18. More girls can focus on furthering their education instead of starting families at…
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How health workers in Kibera are assessing sick children using a new digital health tool
By Maryanne W. Waweru l maryanne@mummytales.com Nairobi, Kenya, East Africa. After two days of nursing her two-year-old daughter at home, an anxious Maximilla Kangahi made her way to a clinic in her neighbourhood for help. At the health facility, Maximilla was received by Waida Kasaya, clinical officer at the Beyond Zero clinic in Karanja, one of Kibera’s 18…
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Help Nordstrom Give 40,000 Back-to-School Shoes to Kids in Need
This year from August 11 through October 15, Nordstrom customers can get involved in its 12th annual Shoes That Fit campaign with a goal of raising $1 million and donating 40,000 shoes to kids in need. Each back-to-school season Nordstrom partners with Shoes That Fit and Nike to provide properly fitted athletic shoes to children…
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World Vision Now Puts Child Sponsorship Into the Rightful Hands of Children
World Vision USA has embarked on a new twist on child sponsorship that is absolutely delightful. Traditionally how child sponsorship works is sponsors pick photos of children who live in poverty and need assistance. But now children get to choose their sponsors giving them a sense of empowerment and becoming a full part of the…
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January Is Birth Defects Prevention Month: Are Local Health Departments Ready?
Q&A with NACCHO Board Member Sandra Elizabeth Ford, MD, MPH Director of the DeKalb County Board of Health A baby is born with a birth defect in the United States every 4.5 minutes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Birth defects are defined as any structural changes present at birth that…
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Can Fitbit Help Kids Gain Steps and Lose Weight?
Around 17 percent of American children from age 2 to 19 are classed as “obese”. That’s a level that has remained fairly steady over the last decade. And it’s growing. Obesity is measured in terms of Body Mass Index (BMI) – a measure that can be used to compare children in terms of their weight.…
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Why Save the Children Is Uniquely Suited to Help Kids After Hurricane Harvey
I have worked with Save the Children in some capacity for the past five years whether seeing their work around the world, blogging on pro-bono campaigns or partnering as a consultant. That’s why I can personally vouch for the amazing work they do for the most vulnerable children who have experienced psychological trauma from all-too-routine…
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Finnish Fashion Designer Creates Maternity Wear for 12-Year-Olds to Highlight Worldwide Child Pregnancy
Child pregnancy is a worldwide blight. Seven million girls in developing countries under the age of 18 become pregnant every year meaning that they have to grow up too soon, put an end to their education, look for adequate healthcare that they can afford, earn money somehow, possibly marry a much older suitor, and figure out…
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How World Vision Promotes Breastfeeding in the Philippines
I am always happy when World Breastfeeding Week rolls around each year. It gives me a chance to hear about the latest programs that are working around the world to increase breastfeeding rates. This year I learned about how World Vision is promoting breastfeeding in the Philippines through its 7-11 Core Intervention Framework which includes 7 interventions for women…
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How a Breastfeeding Initiative in Rural Kenya Changed Attitudes
Exclusive breastfeeding is recommended up to 6 months of age. Alissa Everett/Reuters Judith Kimiywe, Kenyatta University and Elizabeth Kimani-Murage, Brown University There’s a growing global recognition of proper infant nutrition in the child’s first 1000 days of life. This can be monitored through encouraging proper nutrition during pregnancy and the first two years of life…
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Why 20 Million People Are on the Brink of Starvation and How You Can Help
It’s difficult to fathom that 20 million people are on the brink of starvation in Sub-Sharan Africa and the Middle East, but the statistic is true. In fact, the region is facing the largest humanitarian crisis in over seventy years and if no help is provided 1.4 million children are at risk of death. Not…
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[Featured Video] Simple Birth Kit for Mothers in Developing World
Women in low-and-middle-income countries need clean birth kits in order to stave off deadly infections in themselves and their newborns. This is the case not only during home births with midwives but also in institutionalized settings. Zubaida Bai, founder of Ayzh, a social enterprise that creates clean, safe birthing kits for women as well as reproductive, newborn…
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Dutch Company Now Offers Slave-Free Chocolate Bars in the US
I love all kinds of chocolate. I love dark chocolate, milk chocolate, white chocolate, chocolate with caramel, chocolate with nuts, you make it and I’ll eat it. This company, Tony’s Chocolonely, however, has decided to make the delicious desert the right way. Until yesterday I had no idea there was still slavery in the world,…
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5 Organizations to Support During South Sudan’s Famine
In February the United Nations officially declared a famine in South Sudan. What is most disheartening about this most recent famine in the world’s youngest country is it’s largely man-made. Constant infighting among South Sudanese opposition forces and the government makes growing crops nearly impossible. And, the instability in the country continues to drive up…
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Three African Countries Chosen for First Malaria Vaccine Trials
For decades, there has been consistent chatter, research, and hope for a potential malaria vaccine. Now, all three are finally coming to fruition to roll out the world’s first clinical malaria vaccine trials. The World Health Organization Regional Office for Africa (WHO/AFRO) announced today that Ghana, Kenya, and Malawi have been chosen for the WHO-coordinated pilot…
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WATCH: Ed Sheeran Visits Liberia for Red Nose Day
The Red Nose Day campaign to end child poverty returns in the U.S. on Thursday, May 25, in conjunction with a night of special programming and the third annual “Red Nose Day Special” on NBC. One of the best ways to help vulnerable children in low-and-middle-income countries is by telling their authentic stories to those…