Innovative approach to development recognizes role of grandmothers.Grandmothers in the Kati district of Mali, in West Africa West Africa A region of western Africa between the Sahara Desert and the Gulf of Guinea. It was largely controlled by colonial powers until the 20th century. West African adj. & n. , used to advise pregnant women to work harder so their muscles would be strong for childbirth childbirth: see birth. Childbirth Childlessness (See BARRENNESS.) Artemis (Rom. Diana) goddess of childbirth. [Gk. Myth. , and to eat less so their babies would be smaller and easier to push out. But with participatory learning programs promoted by the Grandmother Project and partner organizations, older women are now more likely to encourage their younger counterparts to rest and eat more (and healthier) food when they are expecting. The Grandmother Project (GMP GMP (guanosine monophosphate): see guanine. ), a nonprofit organization Nonprofit Organization An association that is given tax-free status. Donations to a non-profit organization are often tax deductible as well. Notes: Examples of non-profit organizations are charities, hospitals and schools. , is designed to recognize and strengthen the leadership role that senior women, most of whom are grandmothers, play in communities across the developing world. While most development programs imported from the West focus on youth as the change-makers of society, GMP respects the cultural significance and indigenous knowledge of elderly women in traditional societies. "In this approach we have become important in our village," one Malian grandmother explains about the project. "Before, we were ignored. Usually only younger women were involved. We weren't included and, therefore, we couldn't learn new things." In most non-western cultures, says GMP president Judi Aubel, senior women are valued for their wealth of knowledge and integral role in family life, especially as advisors to younger women on issues of family health and childrearing. GMP studies have found that involving grandmothers in discussions of modern health practices can be a more effective way of disseminating dis·sem·i·nate v. dis·sem·i·nat·ed, dis·sem·i·nat·ing, dis·sem·i·nates v.tr. 1. To scatter widely, as in sowing seed. 2. information to a community--and ensuring that the recommendations are implemented--than ignoring the role these women play. In Serer villages in western Senegal, the number of grandmothers advising pregnant women to decrease their workload The term workload can refer to a number of different yet related entities. An amount of labor While a precise definition of a workload is elusive, a commonly accepted definition is the hypothetical relationship between a group or individual human operator and task demands. jumped from 20 percent to 87 percent following a year-long grandmother-inclusive program through GMP in collaboration with the Christian Children's Fund Christian Children's Fund (CCF) is an international child-sponsorship group based in Richmond, Virginia that provides assistance to communities in 31 countries. According to the organization, it has assisted more than 13.2 million children and families. . In villages where a grandmother strategy was used to promote optimal nutritional practices, 91 percent of women of reproductive age reported resting more than usual during their last pregnancy, compared with only 34 percent in communities that did not incorporate grandmothers in the program. [GRAPHIC OMITTED] |
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