For many living in Mitumba, a bowl of rice is all the nourishment they will receive. This is true not only for the children but for the parents, including many pregnant women. Without the appropriate prenatal vitamins and nourishment the developing fetus is subject to a number of growth and developmental problems.

In providing the necessary prenatal vitamins, we can ensure that the developing fetus has every chance for survival, and not only survival, but every chance for proper growth and development.

Beyond vitamins deficiencies, many people living in Mitumba deal with Malaria on a regular basis. When a pregnant woman becomes infected with Malaria, her body's ability to keep the fetus immune drops significantly. This makes the developing child susceptible to a number of birth defects including an ill-developed cerebral cortex. This makes learning extremely difficult for the new child.

Furthermore, when an HIV positive pregnant woman becomes sick with malaria the chances the baby will contract HIV rise tremendously due to her body's inability to fight both problems at the same time.  A healthy HIV+ pregnant woman, on the other hand, can give birth to an HIV negative baby when proper precautions are taken. Both of these problems can be significantly reduced by introducing anti-malarial mosquito netting for Mitumba's pregnant women to sleep under.

GOYA is currently working on providing anti-malarial nets for not only the pregnant women of Mitumba, but the children as well. We would love to see a day when all the residents are safe from the dangers of the mosquito borne illness.