Speaking Technically: Improving Support for Breastfeeding Mothers in Cambodia
We recently spoke to Chum Senveasna, Program Manager for Helen Keller Intl in Cambodia. Senveasna has supported our work on nutrition since 2016. He’s now leading our efforts to support breastfeeding mothers and improve nutrition for women and children across the country. What are the current recommendations for breastfeeding? Global health bodies including the World Health Organization have […]
Good Nutrition Starts with Moms
Nearly half of all child deaths are attributed to malnutrition – more than AIDS, malaria, tuberculosis, and COVID-19 combined. What many don’t realize, however, is that malnutrition often starts in the womb. In fact, every year, maternal malnutrition leads to an estimated 800,000 deaths among newborns. Ensuring Healthy Starts for Children The first 1,000 days of […]
3 Things I’m Optimistic About in 2024
Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence. Helen Keller On January 1st, I stepped into some very big shoes as Helen Keller Intl’s new President and Chief Executive Officer. Together, we are 20 countries strong, helping more than 70 million children and family members create lasting […]
2023 Year in Review: Forces for Good [Photo Essay]
Every day, members of the Helen Keller Intl community are choosing to be forces for good. Community health heroes, entrepreneurs, parents, youth, and Helen Keller staff work tirelessly to help improve health, nutrition, and vision for people in their communities, countries, and around the world. We’re highlighting some of the incredible contributions made by members […]
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 […]
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 […]
“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 […]
