Alassane’s victory over undernutrition

Alassane is an undernourished Mauritian child. His mom Maimouna says how he fell ill and received care in one of our centres.

My name is Maimouna Bâ and I am the mother of Alassane. We come from Boutanda. The reason why I am in the hospital is my son’s health. I am from a large family where 7 married women live. Each one of us is with her children. We live in the conjugal home with our in-laws and our men set out in search of a means of subsistence.

My husband is in Nouakchott and he only comes to visit us every two or three years. Before they were engaged in agriculture, but it is not enough nowadays. We keep a small piece of land and produce okra, peanuts, and millet to meet our small needs. But the crops are not good.

Alassane one of my twin sons, fell ill, he was vomiting, and he lost weight. I took him to the health post in Boutanda. The nurse gave me pumply nut for weeks. After I stopped going to their appointments because I had to leave for a time for personal problems, I left my children in charge of the family, but one day the Action Against Hunger team came to our house asking about my son. By then I knew that his health had worsened so they referred him to the Selibaby Hospital 

I was worried when I found out, but the truth is that CRENI has achieved what I thought was impossible: with medication, intensive care and therapeutic milk, my son has is playing and laughing again. I am very happy, and I have learned many things. When I return home, I will not let my son live alone with his grandparents. I will take care of him from now on and I will do everything I can to prevent him from falling into this malnutrition again.