1000 Days of Motherhood

Dear friends, 

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 1000 Days of Motherhood initiative has been temporarily placed on hold. Our partners at Zambia's National Food and Nutrition Commission remain extremely keen to distribute additional Lifeplayer units, however, health restrictions and other priorities are delaying further implementation. Maternal health and childhood nutirition are more important than ever. One of the issues is that people listen to the Lifeplayers in communal groups, making social distancing more challenging. 

Although Zambia has had slightly more than 18,000 people test positive, no chances are being taken and health officials are focusing on COVID responses. Their death rate remains low at less than 1000 as well.  Precautions were taken early by the Ministry of Health and radio played a central role in the dissemination of accurate COVID information which was broadcast in the eight major local languages. 

We have no intention of closing down the project.  It will still be be ongoing once the situation in Zambia normalises again.  Our intention is to visit Zambia as soon as that is possible again to visit sites with Lifeplayer units .  We have been unable to do so this year due to health restricitons and also very limited flight options from South Africa.  The major carrier between Zambia and South Africa, South Africa Airways went bankrupt.  The only airline now flying between Johannesburg and Lusaka is the highly rated Rwandan Airways.  

Thank you for your support with this project and we will be in touch again in 2020. 

Yours sincerely, 

Kristine