MATERNAL HEALTH AND CHILD CARE
INTRODUCTION
The second month of women’s centre activities operation was wonderful as students for both maternal & child health care and knitting were full of enthusiasm and participated fully in all the women center’s activities.
Students were punctual for classes time to time and their serious commitment to learning was expressed to the project manager about how furious they felt if their teacher started teaching late as these women felt so free to report such kind of a teacher to the project manager Carol
A various kind were covered during the month such as conception to birth, knitting and it patterns. Women also spent time to discuss with each other about the causes of problems that they face in marriage and some possible solutions to such kind of problems
SUBSTANTIAL PROBLEMS / ISSUES
The major problem that contributed to students attending classes late was the rains as it just seemed to have had a program or timetable of raining around 10:00hrs and 14:00 hrs. The times that students reported late to class in the process of waiting for the rains to stop raining caused a delay in covering the planed lessons as teachers had to repeat lessons to late comers so that all students can be on the same page.
REQUESTS / WISHES
Students have requested for an increase of time for maternal and child health care from 12 hrs to 15 hrs. It is reasonable to give a positive response to this request as women are so interested in these programs that have commenced at the women’s center which can be noted in their good attendance and participation too.
The project wishes to have one day of a movie show each month so that its participants can watch how fertilization happens to the time that the baby is born. The movie reads, “The Miracle of life” and this request is easy to answer as the library has these provisions which can be used to assist the women’s center.
UP COMING EVENTS
Common changes and problems of pregnancy and Risks and danger signs of pregnancy will be covered for the coming class.
SINGLE WOMEN’S KNITTING
INTRODUCTION
In the month of December, the single women’s knitting class did not manage to teach only single women as this project was so much advertised in the camp from the on set of participatory assessment to the time that the project became a reality. This popularity made it impossible for the project manager carol or the teachers to narrow these classes to single women only after this project was publicized to be for all women in the camp from the start.
As such, it only became reasonable to involve everyone in the activities for the first few months so that no one felt left out and particularly that all are women single or not. It was also difficult to judge reasons to base that single women only were to learn knitting and savings circle since it became difficult to judge reasons as to why these women were single. It is also noted that the majority of these women in this class are single.
Students were taught on how to knit baby head socks and socks. This class will continue with knitting baby sweaters while the new intake of just single women will start with knitting skills and savings circles so that together these single women can have time to discuss repatriation related issues and the future.
SUBSTANTIAL PROBLEMS / ISSUES
As a result of the dependency syndrome in the students from the camp, it is somewhat difficult to convince them to undo few things that they knit like socks so that they can use this same wool to knit sweaters and advance in their skills. The women’s motive for learning can also be based on the point of having more when they learn and not just having a skill since they are poor. I Carol have to take time to discuss with these women to help them understand that the knitting skills given to them are not there to help them acquire clothes for their babies directly from the women’s center but to help them build these skills on their own. They also need to understand FORGE’S mission for empowering and not relieving.
REQUESTS / WISHES
The project requested for floor mats, whereby babies can sit while their mothers are learning, these might be purchased if the budget allows. In addition to this, women also requested for toys from Alyssa who said she may buy them for them from Lusaka so that babies can use to play with to avoid disturbing their mothers during lessons.
Women are again asking for original types of knitting needles as they say that the type that they have will not last longer as it will get rusty soon since it is of poor quality.
UP COMING EVENTS
The class will continue with the same program with a specific class for single women.
