In honor of Mother's Day on Sunday, May 10, we are republishing the following video and post from Senior Fellow Roger Thurow, which originally appeared on Outrage and Inspire in January 2015.



In this audio slideshow, Roger Thurow takes us to Karamoja, a region in eastern Uganda.

It is the poorest area of the country, with high rates of malnutrition and child stunting and low rates of literacy, latrine use, and access to health services.

In Karamoja, “mother care” groups of pregnant women and new moms come together—often gathering under giant shade trees—to learn how to best ensure their children are well nourished and healthy as they grow. Through the support and instruction of the humanitarian organization Concern Worldwide, these groups address a range of topics—from dietary diversity and good hygiene to the importance of breastfeeding and timely health care—that are crucial for the mother’s health and the child’s development in the 1,000 days period from the beginning of pregnancy through the first two years of life. It is all part of the Resiliency through Wealth, Agriculture and Nutrition project (RWANU), which is also supported by the United States Agency for International Development, ACDI-VOCA, and Welt Hunger Hilfe. So far, RWANU has reached more than 23,000 mothers in Karamoja.

Join Roger in Karamoja’s Nakapiripirit district as he highlights these innovative efforts that can lead to achieving the goal of healthier children, mothers, and communities.

Roger’s international reporting is supported by the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting.