Thank You for Your Gift to Dominican Moms and Babies
Survival Specialist Yeraldy teaches mothers how to eat healthy, exercise, and get good sleep.
Thank you, Mt. Horeb Church.
Your gift is helping mothers and babies thrive through the Survival program, based at Iglesia Asambleas de Dios in Valverde, Dominican Republic. Your support is providing proper nutrition, access to medical care and a broad range of life-saving support for 13 infant-caregiver pairs. Your gift ensures babies born into extreme poverty have the opportunity to thrive, setting them on the path to a healthy, hope-filled childhood.
This report includes recent statistics, photos of Survival program activities and additional highlights. We hope you feel blessed to read this report, as you are such a blessing to mothers and babies living in difficult circumstances.
Scott Limerick
Ministry Progress at Iglesia Asambleas de Dios
July – December 2024
18
babies and mothers served
10
babies born,
and 100% had a healthy birthweight
2
babies, on average per month, received malnutrition treatment
14
babies reached their first birthday and have transitioned to the Sponsorship Program
Hope for Alenny, a Survival Caregiver
Alenny writes a letter of gratitude to you.
Dear Friends,
God bless all of you who are a part of this wonderful Survival program. It’s a pleasure to write to you!
This program has helped my family tremendously. With the help of Yeraldy, a Survival Specialist, I’ve grown spiritually and am in a better financial position. Since the beginning, Yeraldy has trained me and it makes me so thankful for the love, care and empathy they show me and my entire family. I have learned good things about motherhood and how to take good care of my babies. I am grateful to God for every lesson I get to participate in.
Because I have acquired so much knowledge on how to care for my babies, I am full of peace and joyfully anticipate home visits and program activities. Every day I am forming a stronger bond with my daughter and through the program I have been blessed with food baskets, clothes, medicines and training opportunities that make me a better mom.
I am thankful for the love you have shown me by supporting this program, and I especially thank God for allowing me to be a part of it. I look forward to future lessons and activities from this center and I want my babies to grow up as Compassion students so that we can be a blessing to others.
May God bless you always and continue to use you to bless others as you have blessed me.
With gratitude,
Alenny
Letter edited for clarity.
Recent Activities at Iglesia Asambleas de Dios
Survival staff at Iglesia Asambleas de Dios organize and conduct monthly activities and classes to help mothers learn and build on skills including parenting, child development, health, hygiene and child protection. With practical lessons such as guidance in exclusive breastfeeding and early stimulation activities for developing their babies’ motor skills, moms gain knowledge and confidence in child-rearing and maintaining a safe, loving home. Every activity is infused with God’s Word and prayer. Here are some of the recent activities benefiting mothers and babies in the Survival program:
After participating in an early stimulation workshop, two babies celebrated their first birthday and the program decorated the center and everyone enjoyed cupcakes and fruit.
Mothers participate in a workshop on conflict management led by program coordinator Yeraldy. During the class, mothers gained tools to solve problems and conflicts with their families. The center also took time to honor mothers for all they do for their children.
Local doctor Andreina educates the mothers on how to identify when upper respiratory symptoms need immediate medical attention, and how to prevent upper respiratory tract infections in their infants. After the training, the babies were weighed and measured to track their growth and development, and all enjoyed a sandwich, fruit and juice together.
Survival to Sponsorship Transition
It’s time for celebration in the Survival program! Fourteen healthy babies have passed an important milestone: turning 1 year old. These children will now transition into Compassion’s home-based Sponsorship Program. They and their mothers will continue to receive caring support from the church and program staff, as well as sponsors who will support them as they grow physically, cognitively, emotionally and spiritually. Pictured below are six of the 14 babies who are the newest Compassion participants!
Samantha
Esmil
Elizabeth
Edani
Daury
Crismely
Survival Program Spotlight: Malnutrition Prevention and Treatment
Malnutrition is an underlying cause in more than a third of all deaths of children under 5 (UNICEF). These deaths can be attributed to stunting, severe wasting and restricted growth inside the womb. But most of these deaths can be prevented through proven and simple interventions. With this in mind, the Survival program incorporates several key services to preserve the physical well-being of these precious little ones:
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- Caregiver education on preparing healthy meals.
- Therapeutic feeding services.
- Provision of food packs that include essential nutrition and vitamin supplements.
- Promotion of exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life.
- Regular monitoring of each baby’s height and weight to ensure their growth is on track for their age.
Additionally, a healthy birth weight is critical to a baby’s survival and malnutrition prevention. By also focusing on caregiver nutrition through prenatal care and nutritious food, newborns registered with Survival have up to a 30% better likelihood of having a normal birth weight.
Your Gift Matters
Thank you, Mt. Horeb Church! Your gift is making an eternal impact on the lives of vulnerable moms and babies in the Dominican Republic. Thank you for investing in them and partnering with Compassion International to release children from poverty in Jesus’ name. May God continually bless you!