El SalvadorEl Salvador

Helping moms & babies in El Salvador

You are changing the lives of moms and babies. Here’s how.

Mom's & BabiesMom's & Babies
Helping moms & babies in El Salvador
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The Need

Of the 5.2 million children who die around the world each year, 75 per cent die in the first year of life. Babies are at risk of death due to premature birth complications, complications during childbirth, infections, pneumonia and diarrhea. But this is preventable. With training and support, moms in poverty can be empowered to raise healthy and happy babies.

Our Response

Critical care
Your support helps secure access to pre- and postnatal care, skilled birth attendants and medical intervention when necessary.

Home-based care
Mothers are visited in their homes monthly by a Survival specialist, who offers education in prenatal care and early child-rearing as well as one-on-one biblical mentoring.

Group-based learning
At these church-based activities, moms learn skills to earn an income and gain vital knowledge including basic literacy, the importance of breastfeeding and how to prevent malnutrition and disease. These groups combat isolation through a supportive community of mothers who, together, learn about the God who loves them.

El Salvador Stats

Average number of children in household 4
Average age of first-time mothers 15
Births attended by skilled health personnel 98
Stunted growth from malnutrition 14

Activities

Group meetings: Moms gathered monthly to pray, study the Word of God and learn about important topics in the care of their babies, including children’s rights and how to raise their children with love. Moms celebrated birthdays, holidays and special days together; staff gave gifts to moms and babies and showed them how much they are loved and cared for not only by staff but also by God. Moms enjoyed participating in games, worship sessions, fun activities, sharing food and being together in community.

Early stimulation: Staff taught moms how to promote their babies’ physical, emotional and cognitive development. At the centres, babies played with age-appropriate toys and enjoyed stimulating activities with their parents. Moms learned how to stimulate their babies at home through play, songs and touch. Babies received toys and moms learned how to make stimulating toys and sensory books to use with their babies.

Health: Moms learned the importance and benefits of breastfeeding their babies. They also received food baskets containing nutritious food staples and learned how to prepare healthy meals for their families. Babies received height and weight checks as well as physical exams to track their growth, and pregnant mothers were given prenatal and postnatal care and support. Moms also learned how to perform self-breast exams to help prevent breast cancer and the importance of good mental health.

Home visits: Staff visited moms at home and provided personal care for each family. Mothers joyfully welcomed staff and were excited to learn more about childhood development, nutrition, healthy relationships, parenting methods and disease prevention. Staff also offered spiritual support to moms through one-on-one prayer, Bible studies and devotionals.

Income generation: Though workshops, moms learned new skills, gained confidence in their abilities and created plans to earn an income. Moms learned how to make jewellery, which they can make and sell from home to earn an income. Some moms participated in clothes dying workshops and others were gifted chickens to help improve their household nutrition and generate an income by selling extra eggs.

Spiritual growth: Moms dedicated their babies to God during special services at their churches. Parents learned the importance of presenting their children to God and how the church can support them as they raise their children with the knowledge of God. At group sessions, moms prayed and worshipped God together and completed small devotionals.

Project Stats

This intervention addressed:

Full-term births 9
Pregnancies 6
Breastfeeding Moms 7
Malnourished Babies - Severely Underweight 15
Attended births 6
Malnourished Babies - Moderately Underweight 23
Normal birth weights 8
Low birth weights 1
Group meetings: Moms gathered monthly to pray, study the Word of God and learn about important topics in the care of their babies, including children’s rights and how to raise their children with love. Moms celebrated birthdays, holidays and special days together; staff gave gifts to moms and babies and showed them how much they are loved and cared for not only by staff but also by God. Moms enjoyed participating in games, worship sessions, fun activities, sharing food and being together in community.
Group meetings: Moms gathered monthly to pray, study the Word of God and learn about important topics in the care of their babies, including children’s rights and how to raise their children with love. Moms celebrated birthdays, holidays and special days together; staff gave gifts to moms and babies and showed them how much they are loved and cared for not only by staff but also by God. Moms enjoyed participating in games, worship sessions, fun activities, sharing food and being together in community.
Group meetings: Moms gathered monthly to pray, study the Word of God and learn about important topics in the care of their babies, including children’s rights and how to raise their children with love. Moms celebrated birthdays, holidays and special days together; staff gave gifts to moms and babies and showed them how much they are loved and cared for not only by staff but also by God. Moms enjoyed participating in games, worship sessions, fun activities, sharing food and being together in community.
Group meetings: Moms gathered monthly to pray, study the Word of God and learn about important topics in the care of their babies, including children’s rights and how to raise their children with love. Moms celebrated birthdays, holidays and special days together; staff gave gifts to moms and babies and showed them how much they are loved and cared for not only by staff but also by God. Moms enjoyed participating in games, worship sessions, fun activities, sharing food and being together in community.
Group meetings: Moms gathered monthly to pray, study the Word of God and learn about important topics in the care of their babies, including children’s rights and how to raise their children with love. Moms celebrated birthdays, holidays and special days together; staff gave gifts to moms and babies and showed them how much they are loved and cared for not only by staff but also by God. Moms enjoyed participating in games, worship sessions, fun activities, sharing food and being together in community.
Group meetings: Moms gathered monthly to pray, study the Word of God and learn about important topics in the care of their babies, including children’s rights and how to raise their children with love. Moms celebrated birthdays, holidays and special days together; staff gave gifts to moms and babies and showed them how much they are loved and cared for not only by staff but also by God. Moms enjoyed participating in games, worship sessions, fun activities, sharing food and being together in community.
Group meetings: Moms gathered monthly to pray, study the Word of God and learn about important topics in the care of their babies, including children’s rights and how to raise their children with love. Moms celebrated birthdays, holidays and special days together; staff gave gifts to moms and babies and showed them how much they are loved and cared for not only by staff but also by God. Moms enjoyed participating in games, worship sessions, fun activities, sharing food and being together in community.
Group meetings: Moms gathered monthly to pray, study the Word of God and learn about important topics in the care of their babies, including children’s rights and how to raise their children with love. Moms celebrated birthdays, holidays and special days together; staff gave gifts to moms and babies and showed them how much they are loved and cared for not only by staff but also by God. Moms enjoyed participating in games, worship sessions, fun activities, sharing food and being together in community.
Early stimulation: Staff taught moms how to promote their babies’ physical, emotional and cognitive development. At the centres, babies played with age-appropriate toys and enjoyed stimulating activities with their parents. Moms learned how to stimulate their babies at home through play, songs and touch. Babies received toys and moms learned how to make stimulating toys and sensory books to use with their babies.
Early stimulation: Staff taught moms how to promote their babies’ physical, emotional and cognitive development. At the centres, babies played with age-appropriate toys and enjoyed stimulating activities with their parents. Moms learned how to stimulate their babies at home through play, songs and touch. Babies received toys and moms learned how to make stimulating toys and sensory books to use with their babies.
Early stimulation: Staff taught moms how to promote their babies’ physical, emotional and cognitive development. At the centres, babies played with age-appropriate toys and enjoyed stimulating activities with their parents. Moms learned how to stimulate their babies at home through play, songs and touch. Babies received toys and moms learned how to make stimulating toys and sensory books to use with their babies.
Early stimulation: Staff taught moms how to promote their babies’ physical, emotional and cognitive development. At the centres, babies played with age-appropriate toys and enjoyed stimulating activities with their parents. Moms learned how to stimulate their babies at home through play, songs and touch. Babies received toys and moms learned how to make stimulating toys and sensory books to use with their babies.
Early stimulation: Staff taught moms how to promote their babies’ physical, emotional and cognitive development. At the centres, babies played with age-appropriate toys and enjoyed stimulating activities with their parents. Moms learned how to stimulate their babies at home through play, songs and touch. Babies received toys and moms learned how to make stimulating toys and sensory books to use with their babies.
Early stimulation: Staff taught moms how to promote their babies’ physical, emotional and cognitive development. At the centres, babies played with age-appropriate toys and enjoyed stimulating activities with their parents. Moms learned how to stimulate their babies at home through play, songs and touch. Babies received toys and moms learned how to make stimulating toys and sensory books to use with their babies.
Health: Moms learned the importance and benefits of breastfeeding their babies. They also received food baskets containing nutritious food staples and learned how to prepare healthy meals for their families. Babies received height and weight checks as well as physical exams to track their growth, and pregnant mothers were given prenatal and postnatal care and support. Moms also learned how to perform self-breast exams to help prevent breast cancer and the importance of good mental health.
Health: Moms learned the importance and benefits of breastfeeding their babies. They also received food baskets containing nutritious food staples and learned how to prepare healthy meals for their families. Babies received height and weight checks as well as physical exams to track their growth, and pregnant mothers were given prenatal and postnatal care and support. Moms also learned how to perform self-breast exams to help prevent breast cancer and the importance of good mental health.
Health: Moms learned the importance and benefits of breastfeeding their babies. They also received food baskets containing nutritious food staples and learned how to prepare healthy meals for their families. Babies received height and weight checks as well as physical exams to track their growth, and pregnant mothers were given prenatal and postnatal care and support. Moms also learned how to perform self-breast exams to help prevent breast cancer and the importance of good mental health.
Health: Moms learned the importance and benefits of breastfeeding their babies. They also received food baskets containing nutritious food staples and learned how to prepare healthy meals for their families. Babies received height and weight checks as well as physical exams to track their growth, and pregnant mothers were given prenatal and postnatal care and support. Moms also learned how to perform self-breast exams to help prevent breast cancer and the importance of good mental health.
Health: Moms learned the importance and benefits of breastfeeding their babies. They also received food baskets containing nutritious food staples and learned how to prepare healthy meals for their families. Babies received height and weight checks as well as physical exams to track their growth, and pregnant mothers were given prenatal and postnatal care and support. Moms also learned how to perform self-breast exams to help prevent breast cancer and the importance of good mental health.
Health: Moms learned the importance and benefits of breastfeeding their babies. They also received food baskets containing nutritious food staples and learned how to prepare healthy meals for their families. Babies received height and weight checks as well as physical exams to track their growth, and pregnant mothers were given prenatal and postnatal care and support. Moms also learned how to perform self-breast exams to help prevent breast cancer and the importance of good mental health.
Health: Moms learned the importance and benefits of breastfeeding their babies. They also received food baskets containing nutritious food staples and learned how to prepare healthy meals for their families. Babies received height and weight checks as well as physical exams to track their growth, and pregnant mothers were given prenatal and postnatal care and support. Moms also learned how to perform self-breast exams to help prevent breast cancer and the importance of good mental health.
Health: Moms learned the importance and benefits of breastfeeding their babies. They also received food baskets containing nutritious food staples and learned how to prepare healthy meals for their families. Babies received height and weight checks as well as physical exams to track their growth, and pregnant mothers were given prenatal and postnatal care and support. Moms also learned how to perform self-breast exams to help prevent breast cancer and the importance of good mental health.
Health: Moms learned the importance and benefits of breastfeeding their babies. They also received food baskets containing nutritious food staples and learned how to prepare healthy meals for their families. Babies received height and weight checks as well as physical exams to track their growth, and pregnant mothers were given prenatal and postnatal care and support. Moms also learned how to perform self-breast exams to help prevent breast cancer and the importance of good mental health.
Health: Moms learned the importance and benefits of breastfeeding their babies. They also received food baskets containing nutritious food staples and learned how to prepare healthy meals for their families. Babies received height and weight checks as well as physical exams to track their growth, and pregnant mothers were given prenatal and postnatal care and support. Moms also learned how to perform self-breast exams to help prevent breast cancer and the importance of good mental health.
Health: Moms learned the importance and benefits of breastfeeding their babies. They also received food baskets containing nutritious food staples and learned how to prepare healthy meals for their families. Babies received height and weight checks as well as physical exams to track their growth, and pregnant mothers were given prenatal and postnatal care and support. Moms also learned how to perform self-breast exams to help prevent breast cancer and the importance of good mental health.
Health: Moms learned the importance and benefits of breastfeeding their babies. They also received food baskets containing nutritious food staples and learned how to prepare healthy meals for their families. Babies received height and weight checks as well as physical exams to track their growth, and pregnant mothers were given prenatal and postnatal care and support. Moms also learned how to perform self-breast exams to help prevent breast cancer and the importance of good mental health.
Health: Moms learned the importance and benefits of breastfeeding their babies. They also received food baskets containing nutritious food staples and learned how to prepare healthy meals for their families. Babies received height and weight checks as well as physical exams to track their growth, and pregnant mothers were given prenatal and postnatal care and support. Moms also learned how to perform self-breast exams to help prevent breast cancer and the importance of good mental health.
Health: Moms learned the importance and benefits of breastfeeding their babies. They also received food baskets containing nutritious food staples and learned how to prepare healthy meals for their families. Babies received height and weight checks as well as physical exams to track their growth, and pregnant mothers were given prenatal and postnatal care and support. Moms also learned how to perform self-breast exams to help prevent breast cancer and the importance of good mental health.
Home visits: Staff visited moms at home and provided personal care for each family. Mothers joyfully welcomed staff and were excited to learn more about childhood development, nutrition, healthy relationships, parenting methods and disease prevention. Staff also offered spiritual support to moms through one-on-one prayer, Bible studies and devotionals.
Home visits: Staff visited moms at home and provided personal care for each family. Mothers joyfully welcomed staff and were excited to learn more about childhood development, nutrition, healthy relationships, parenting methods and disease prevention. Staff also offered spiritual support to moms through one-on-one prayer, Bible studies and devotionals.
Home visits: Staff visited moms at home and provided personal care for each family. Mothers joyfully welcomed staff and were excited to learn more about childhood development, nutrition, healthy relationships, parenting methods and disease prevention. Staff also offered spiritual support to moms through one-on-one prayer, Bible studies and devotionals.
Home visits: Staff visited moms at home and provided personal care for each family. Mothers joyfully welcomed staff and were excited to learn more about childhood development, nutrition, healthy relationships, parenting methods and disease prevention. Staff also offered spiritual support to moms through one-on-one prayer, Bible studies and devotionals.
Income generation: Though workshops, moms learned new skills, gained confidence in their abilities and created plans to earn an income. Moms learned how to make jewellery, which they can make and sell from home to earn an income. Some moms participated in clothes dying workshops and others were gifted chickens to help improve their household nutrition and generate an income by selling extra eggs.
Income generation: Though workshops, moms learned new skills, gained confidence in their abilities and created plans to earn an income. Moms learned how to make jewellery, which they can make and sell from home to earn an income. Some moms participated in clothes dying workshops and others were gifted chickens to help improve their household nutrition and generate an income by selling extra eggs.
Income generation: Though workshops, moms learned new skills, gained confidence in their abilities and created plans to earn an income. Moms learned how to make jewellery, which they can make and sell from home to earn an income. Some moms participated in clothes dying workshops and others were gifted chickens to help improve their household nutrition and generate an income by selling extra eggs.
Income generation: Though workshops, moms learned new skills, gained confidence in their abilities and created plans to earn an income. Moms learned how to make jewellery, which they can make and sell from home to earn an income. Some moms participated in clothes dying workshops and others were gifted chickens to help improve their household nutrition and generate an income by selling extra eggs.
Income generation: Though workshops, moms learned new skills, gained confidence in their abilities and created plans to earn an income. Moms learned how to make jewellery, which they can make and sell from home to earn an income. Some moms participated in clothes dying workshops and others were gifted chickens to help improve their household nutrition and generate an income by selling extra eggs.
Income generation: Though workshops, moms learned new skills, gained confidence in their abilities and created plans to earn an income. Moms learned how to make jewellery, which they can make and sell from home to earn an income. Some moms participated in clothes dying workshops and others were gifted chickens to help improve their household nutrition and generate an income by selling extra eggs.
Spiritual growth: Moms dedicated their babies to God during special services at their churches. Parents learned the importance of presenting their children to God and how the church can support them as they raise their children with the knowledge of God. At group sessions, moms prayed and worshipped God together and completed small devotionals.
Spiritual growth: Moms dedicated their babies to God during special services at their churches. Parents learned the importance of presenting their children to God and how the church can support them as they raise their children with the knowledge of God. At group sessions, moms prayed and worshipped God together and completed small devotionals.
Spiritual growth: Moms dedicated their babies to God during special services at their churches. Parents learned the importance of presenting their children to God and how the church can support them as they raise their children with the knowledge of God. At group sessions, moms prayed and worshipped God together and completed small devotionals.
Spiritual growth: Moms dedicated their babies to God during special services at their churches. Parents learned the importance of presenting their children to God and how the church can support them as they raise their children with the knowledge of God. At group sessions, moms prayed and worshipped God together and completed small devotionals.
Spiritual growth: Moms dedicated their babies to God during special services at their churches. Parents learned the importance of presenting their children to God and how the church can support them as they raise their children with the knowledge of God. At group sessions, moms prayed and worshipped God together and completed small devotionals.
Spiritual growth: Moms dedicated their babies to God during special services at their churches. Parents learned the importance of presenting their children to God and how the church can support them as they raise their children with the knowledge of God. At group sessions, moms prayed and worshipped God together and completed small devotionals.
Spiritual growth: Moms dedicated their babies to God during special services at their churches. Parents learned the importance of presenting their children to God and how the church can support them as they raise their children with the knowledge of God. At group sessions, moms prayed and worshipped God together and completed small devotionals.
Spiritual growth: Moms dedicated their babies to God during special services at their churches. Parents learned the importance of presenting their children to God and how the church can support them as they raise their children with the knowledge of God. At group sessions, moms prayed and worshipped God together and completed small devotionals.
Maria

ReportA message from a caregiver

I am so happy to greet you! I hope in God that you are doing very well and enjoying perfect health with your family and with all those who surround you, as well as being full of abundant blessings from our Creator.

I am Maria, the mother of twin babies at the Moisés holistic development centre in Chalatenango city in El Salvador. On this occasion, I am writing to you to send greetings while I also thank you for all you have done for me and for my twin babies. It has been a great blessing! May God multiply this on you!

The names of my twin babies are Eliana and Axel. I want to tell you that my children are the most beautiful beings I have ever seen—they are very happy, a bit hyperactive, very intelligent and above all, they are very healthy by the mercy of God.

At the moment that they arrived into my life, I felt happy, although kind of scared because they were twins babies, but I thank God for such a beautiful blessing and I feel more than thankful to Him because my babies came to fill my life, my parents and my other relatives with happiness!

The Survival program has been a great blessing because it is so complete, from the spiritual to the material. For example, the meetings where we learn more about God and receive teachings from our Creator are a blessing. We also receive food packages that they give us month after month which come to meet our needs, plus medical checkups, mosquito nets, Bibles etc. It is a very complete program.

The achievements my beautiful babies have made since we joined the program are so many due to early stimulation, the teachings and the care and love that our implementer and the entire staff from the centre have for my beautiful children.

I say bye to you now with a lot of thankfulness, love and fondness, wishing that God may be multiplying 100 per cent on you for all the love that you have shown in the Survival program for me and my children. I wish success for your personal, professional and spiritual life.

Greetings and blessings!

Maria
Pastor Adán, ES0906 Nehemias Survival Program

ReportA message from a pastor

Greetings in the name of our God and Saviour Jesus Christ, wishing multiple blessings to your family and the people who surround you! Blessings! I am Adán, the pastor at the holistic development centre Nehemias, located in the department of Chalatenango in El Salvador.

I thank you so much for your exceptional help, because without it, we would not be able to help pregnant women living in poverty have healthy children. We hope that God allows you to continue to help us.

Several activities are carried out at the program, such as meetings with the objective of educating them on how to treat their babies. We also celebrate mothers and babies with baby showers. We give physiotherapy to the babies; medical checkups and clinical exams; and throw birthday, Christmas and Mother’s Day parties. We also deliver newborn kits, food packages and spiritual counselling.

The mothers in the community enjoy the benefits that they see and receive. Mothers who are not in the program would like to join and participate because they see children in the program have better development in all areas.

We hope that the mothers are able to join vocational workshops and that the Survival program may be enlarged to be able to receive more children. I thank you for helping our community because without it, many mothers would stop receiving help and would end up in extreme poverty. But now, they are able to help their children and promote better development.

Please help us pray for the children to be completely delivered from the oppression of the enemy and that God will give us the wisdom needed to carry out our work with the children.

Pastor Adán, ES0906 Nehemias Survival Program
Ana

ReportA message from those your gift helped

Blessings! My name is Ana. I am 22 years old and I belong to the holistic development centre ES0843* in the department of San Miguel in El Salvador.

I want to tell you that first, I am very thankful to God and then to the church that allowed me to be part of this blessed program because it is a great blessing to my family and me, as well as for all of us who are part of it. My baby is named Betzaida. She is seven-and-a-half months old. She is a very joyful and playful girl; she smiles at everyone, and she loves to play with her older little sister.

When I found out that I was pregnant, I felt very happy and thankful to God for giving me the opportunity of having my second girl. We looked forward to her and when I finally had her in my arms, I felt very happy and thankful.

Thanks to the Survival program, my life and my baby’s life have been impacted in a very special way, and even under certain protection measures during the pandemic, the benefits have not stopped, such as basic food packages, quarterly toys, clinical exams, medical checkups, a party at the end of the year and many more benefits.

Thanks to the program, my baby has obtained a better development, thanks to the early stimulations that they have taught me, and I put them into practice with her. We attend classes where they give us tips about personal care and nutrition, and this is a great benefit to my baby and me.

I am very thankful to each of you, who make this program a great blessing to my baby and me and to all the families who are part of it. I ask God to always bless your lives and your families, and that each of your projects may be blessed, and may you continue to impact more families with this beautiful blessing.

I say bye to you with much fondness!

*Compassion child development centre ES0843 closed in April 2023

Ana