Helping children grow strong – from the very start

With your help, more mothers, fathers and health workers are coming together to learn, share and act – changing the outlook for children across East New Britain.

In the remote mountain villages of East New Britain, momentum is building.

Every month, more parents are attending our workshops on nutrition and child development – delivered through Grow Healthy, Grow Strong, our program to help reduce childhood stunting.

Nearly half of all children in East New Britain are affected by stunting, a condition with longterm effects on growth, learning and health – but your support for the Grow program is helping shift that story.

Thanks to you, Onawuta Kesuwao and Mary Kuam from our Kokopo office can keep making regular trips to these communities – gathering with families under mango trees or in community halls, sharing knowledge about maternal and child health, passing around bilingual factsheets, using educational games, and keeping the conversations flowing over snacks and chilled drinks.

Through regular community workshops like these, as well as training sessions for local health workers, families are gaining the knowledge they need to help their children grow and thrive.

More parents, more impact

Already this year, over 100 parents have taken part in workshops, with more and more fathers turning up to sit alongside their partners to learn about family nutrition, maternal health and shared parenting.

At a recent session, fathers and mothers attended in equal numbers – a first for the project.

In response, the team is now tailoring workshop content to better engage men – covering topics like responsible alcohol use and the important role fathers play in raising strong, healthy children.

You’re part of this journey

Every trip into the mountains. Every game played. Every healthy child. It’s all part of a stronger future for PNG – and you’ve helped make it happen.

Thank you for walking alongside us, helping our research to go further.