Empowering Women in Kalimantan to Prevent Stunting

Dear friends,

Recently, we sat down with SF, one of the volunteer health workers (or better known as “kader” in Indonesia) supporting the Stunting Prevention program in Central Kalimantan. Her interview shows just how committed she is to supporting her community wholeheartedly. Here’s what SF has to say about her journey as a kader:

“For the past five years, I have been a kader, volunteering every month during the village health post (Posyandu) gathering. Although I had already felt before that I wanted to contribute to society, I was still shy and not confident in myself. It was only after participating in activities organized by Yayasan Usaha Mulia (YUM) that I began to feel a significant change within myself. I feel that my capacity has increased, I am more confident, happier and I feel proud because I feel like I am a useful person, acting as a bridge to spread information to the community, especially in my area, and particularly about stunting.

After receiving the training provided, I feel that not only my knowledge has increased, but my desire to help the surrounding community has also increased. I believe that we must prevent stunting and, if possible, there should be no more stunting in Bukit Batu sub-district or other areas.

Additionally, with the monthly meetings at YUM, I now have more friends and with my fellow kader, can share information with each other, so I also know the situation in other areas. While we do encounter challenges, I keep my focus on good intentions and try to convey and share information with the language and words that they can accept.

Being a Posyandu kader is not just a responsibility; it's a privilege. I believe that from what small contributions that I can make, such as providing information on the correct nutrition for children to their parents, this can have a lasting impact in their lives.”

Empowering women volunteer health workers, like SF,  with the necessary knowledge and skills to prevent stunting is crucial for ensuring the well-being of children and the overall health of communities, especially since they are the main contact whom mothers meet every month during the health gathering. That is why, investing in their training and capacity-building is crucial in not only enhancing their roles as community health advocates but also equips them to address the pervasive issue of stunting effectively.

Thank you for your continuous support to help women in Central Kalimantan to ensure that the pregnant mothers in their communities deliver healthy babies and prevent stunting! If you are able, we would appreciate it if you could set up a monthly donation through GlobalGiving as this provides us with a sustainable source of funds. Right now, new monthly donations will have their first donation matched by GlobalGiving at 100%.

In the heart of the local community in Bukit Batu, Central Kalimantan, a 22-year-old mother of three discovered self-growth during her second pregnancy. This is what D has to say about her journey from awareness to active participation that helps in ensuring the well-being and healthy growth of her children:

“I learned about the stunting program during the third month of my second pregnancy through women volunteer health workers (kader) from a nearby community-run Integrated Health Post (Posyandu). They were actively promoting stunting prevention to me and other pregnant women in our area.

I found the nutritional packages I received during the program highly beneficial. The packages did not only help me in ensuring that I received the nutrients I needed during my pregnancy, the packages also showed me just how much, and the kind of variety of nutritious food that I need to consume on a daily basis to ensure a healthy pregnancy. On top of that, I received knowledge surrounding stunting prevention which helped me become more aware of the do’s and don’ts for pregnant women.

Moreover, I was thrilled when I discovered a free ultrasound was offered, a service I missed during my first pregnancy. On the day of the ultrasound, I was overjoyed when I learned that I was expecting twins!

In the first few months, it was challenging for me caring for two babies and I missed my regular visits to the community-run Integrated Health Post (Posyandu). However, the dedicated women volunteer health worker (kader) continued monitoring my twins’ growth through home visits. Now, I actively participate in monthly weigh-ins and measurements for my children.

In the past, with my first child, I was worried about the child's body looking small, but for my twins it is not a burden because I already know how to measure their growth and thankfully every month the children's weight and height always increase. I am grateful that, so far, I find no burden in my twins' growth journey, as I am better informed and prepared.” 

Thank you for your continuous support to help mothers in Central Kalimantan to ensure their babies are born healthy and prevent stunting! If you are able, we would appreciate it if you could set up a monthly donation through GlobalGiving as this provides us with  a sustainable source of funds. Right now, new monthly donations will have their first donation matched by GlobalGiving at 100%.