Makorokoto e Birthday ra mwana!

Baby turns 1 year old!

This time one year ago, baby was fighting for his life. Baby's mom was not coping. Single, jobless, family-less, she was having a hard time handling the stress of a newborn.
Fast-forward to last saturday, as I arrive at baby's house, mom comes running out side with her arms in the air cheering "Oh Alli! Can you believe my baby is one year old today! I am so happy!" We went into her house that she was proud to show off. She and her friends were busy making potato salad and chicken. She proudly showed me baby's cake. I lost count of how many times she said, "thank you God, thank you Alli for helping me with my baby". She goes on to tell Bethany, me and her other friends how this baby should not be alive. She was practically jumping up and down while shouting, "Alli, my friend, I am so much better! I am not so sick, my baby is fat!".
I have been working with Tonya for about a year and a half. After deciding to keep her baby after baby's daddy left her, I got involved in supporting her during her pregnancy. It was a rough pregnancy and an even harder first 3 months of baby's life. In and out of the hospital, we discovered that baby was extremely sick. Baby Safe was extremely involved in their lives, including encouraging Tonya to get onto some life saving medicine. This was scary for mom, as she was fighting stereo-types and common misperceptions about this sickness. Months after getting on the medicine, both mom and baby look and feel amazing!

This is why I live in Africa, to help young mom's like Tonya raise their babies!

**story have been used with permission, names have been changed