President and CEO Sarah Bouchie Speaks with Woman Around Town
Recently, Sarah Bouchie sat down with Charlene Giannetti, editor of Woman Around Town, to discuss how Sarah’s childhood, education, and work experiences prepared her for her role as Helen Keller Intl’s President and CEO. In her interview, Sarah speaks about what sparked her interest in international development and her career path and her long-time […]
Women at the heart of our work
Women are the cornerstones of many families. They oversee home life — raising the children, preparing meals, even fetching water — and they bear responsibility for part, if not all, of their families’ livelihoods. In times of struggle, women often put others’ needs ahead of their own. In many ways, women are society’s glue: they […]
Looking Bravely: Supporting Nutrition for Expectant and Newborn Mothers
We recently spoke with Anita Agartha Kargbo, a program officer for nutrition in Sierra Leone. Anita has been part of the nutrition and research team at Helen Keller — which she calls her “dream organization” — since joining as an intern in 2010. With degrees in community development, nutrition, and agriculture, Anita helps families, especially […]
Helping Mothers in Sierra Leone Build Brighter Futures for Themselves and Their Babies
In a small community health clinic in Matotoka township in the northern provinces of Sierra Leone, 25-year-old Kadiatu Bangura cradles her six-month-old baby, Gabriel, with pride. Nurse Aminata Conteh gives Gabriel four droplets of vitamin A, a crucial micronutrient that helps build strong immune systems and protect vision, especially for children under the age of […]
Looking Bravely: Breastfeeding Education in Nepal
We recently spoke with Nisha Sharma, a specialist in child feeding in Nepal. Since joining Helen Keller Intl in 2010, Nisha has conducted research about breastfeeding practices, the marketing of baby formula, and other issues with the dual goals of influencing public policy and further enhancing our evidence-based support for mothers and infants. Her role […]
Taking Action to Combat Hunger
In just three years, the ravages of COVID-19 reversed decades of progress in the fight against malnutrition. Compounded by the damaging effects of climate change and armed conflicts, most notably in Ukraine, this crisis fuels increased threats of famine in vulnerable communities. The United Nations estimates 345 million people worldwide face severe food shortages — […]
Nutrition leaders urge scale-up of new intervention to prevent child malnutrition and mortality
A novel fortified food-based supplement for children 6-23 months of age can substantially reduce stunting, wasting, anemia, and developmental delay The world is facing a crisis: millions of children and families are beset by hunger and malnutrition, made worse by the combined impact of COVID-19, climate shocks, and the war in Ukraine. For families struggling […]
“Binti to Binti” in Kenya helps mothers ensure the health of their children
Patience Pendo, a young mother of two expecting her third child, had a feeling that her pregnancy would pose difficulties. But she was determined for things to go differently this time. “I had carried another pregnancy earlier, but it came out prematurely [and I lost the child]. I knew I might face the same problem […]
New parents strive to make their next meal more accessible
Relying on day-to-day income has never been comfortable for Nirmala and Laxman Basnet. The couple, from a remote village in Nepal’s mountainous Bhojpur District, earns roughly $7 US per day – not enough to afford the steeply rising prices of daily necessities. And now with a newborn son, the couple is anxious. Only a few […]
Mothers face difficult choices for children’s health in Cambodia
Mrs. Prum Sreymom is a 20-year-old mother living with her husband and her healthy 19-month-old daughter Sovannyta in northern Cambodia. She prepares nutritious foods for her family, maintains healthy hygiene and sanitation practices, and takes her daughter to the health center for regular appointments. But a year ago, these habits were unfamiliar, and her baby […]
