A sad reality is that the maternal mortality rate (and infant mortality rate) are very high in Malawi. In the USA, about 20 women out of 100,000 pass away as a result of childbirth. In Malawi, that number is 349. This leaves the baby without the normal source of breastfeeding and baby formula is essential. Another situation may be that the mother is not able to breastfeed because of a medical condition. Though a tin would cost less than $10, most people in rural areas cannot afford this added expense. We know exactly what this looks like for our family. That is how our three kids (all adopted from Malawi) ended up at an orphanage.
A few years ago we had a grandmother bring two babies to Bright Vision asking for help. We started providing monthly support, and more requests came. As of this month we have 20 babies that we are supporting with formula on a monthly basis. We’ve just increased the amount of support we devote to this need in order to help these babies survive and thrive.
