Deejay was quiet when she first brought her infant daughter to the nutritional center, run by Helen Keller International with support from Catholic Relief Services (CRS). The younger woman held Mariama and relied on her grandmother to answer questions about the 10-month-old infant.
The elderly woman shook her head with distress as she described the baby's condition to a nutritionist. “She vomits and has diarrhea. She doesn't cry anymore. This worries me. She's lost her strength. She used to crawl. Look at her now.”
Deejay just stared quietly at the ground. Many Nigerien mothers avoid discussing their firstborn children, fearing that mentioning their names can summon bad luck.
The nutritionist, Hajera Hassan, measured Mariama and announced her weight: 4.8 kilograms, or just over 10½ pounds. “Please, God, spare this child,” Naraba exclaimed. The figures, which indicated that Mariama was severely malnourished, would help determine the proper course of treatment. Future weighings would help monitor her progress.
The center is one of sixteen that Helen Keller International and the government of Niger run in the districts of Tanout and Doutchi with support from CRS and other donors. Children suffering from moderate to severe malnutrition receive free treatment, including medical examinations and nutritional supplements, while mothers and caregivers receive education and training in childcare and nutrition.
“Your enthusiasm will come after a few days, when Mariama begins to recover her appetite,” Hajera assured them. Deejay collected a plastic mat, bucket and mosquito net from an attendant and followed Naraba and the baby down a path to a building furnished with beds and chairs, determined to help nurse her daughter back to health.
One week later the silent fearful mother had been transformed. Deejay leapt up when Hajera approached with her scale. Accustomed now to discussing Mariama's health status, she eagerly reported that the baby had started to whine and search for her Atmit, a fortified nutritional supplement administered to malnourished children at the center. Atmit, which is made by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (another CRS partner in Niger) is a sweet porridge that has been shown to alleviate malnutrition. As Hajera weighed Mariama, Deejay hummed, confident the baby's condition had improved.
“Five point four kilograms [just under 12 pounds],” Hajera announced. “Smooth progress now that the diarrhea has stopped.”
Malnutrition rates for children in Niger tend to soar during the lean season between harvests. Of the 3,260 children under age 5 who were screened at the Tanout and Doutchi centers in the first two weeks of August, 20 percent were found to be malnourished. The type of therapeutic outreach offered at the center is critical to preserving lives: Mariama's quick progress toward recovery, a source of pride for her mother and great-grandmother, would not have been possible in their village.
The center had estimated that recovery could take two to three weeks, but Deejay and her grandmother packed their bags two days later, sure that Mariama had reached her target weight. Hajera, who has examined thousands of children, was less certain.
But when Mariama weighed in at 5.7 kilograms (an increase of over half a pound in just two days), she declared, “Excellent progress.” Though her baby was still malnourished and would need a referral to outpatient care, the news of the weight gain made Deejay sing out Mariama's name.
Adriane Seibert is a communications officer for CRS, based in Niamey, Niger. Adriane has also worked for CRS programs in northern Sudan.
