Imagine being Susie, an expectant mother in Papua New Guinea. You feel the labour pains begin, so you walk to the river, paddle in a canoe for three hours to get to town, wait overnight and then take a bus to hospital.

When you return home again with your new baby in your arms, where do you go for advice on how to keep your baby safe, healthy and nourished? Do you have a network of doctors, nurses, midwives – and of course, the internet – to keep you informed? Probably not.

Susie is one of many people around the world whose lives have been improved thanks to caring Australians who bought World Vision Gifts.

Before Susie had access to World Vision’s health and nutrition education training sessions, she fed her youngest daughter Lynette twice a day. There was no one to tell her that wasn’t enough. Her children were weak and lacking in energy, but she didn’t know why.

“Francisca from World Vision came into the community to talk about the nutrition project,” Susie says. “I learnt that I should feed my children three meals a day.”

Thanks to Australians who bought gifts for growing up healthy from the World Vision gift catalogue, Susie learned the importance of a balanced diet. “World Vision said we should feed our children beans, fish, kaukau, banana and cassava. Francisca told us it’s body building food to give them the energy they need,” she says.

Susie’s seen heart-warming changes in her youngest daughter. “Before the awareness sessions, Lynette used to cry a lot, wasn’t that playful. Lynette has changed a lot, she is more energised,” she says.

The nutrition training brings mothers together to talk and share information. They’ve learned that colostrum (nursing mothers’ first milk) is extremely beneficial for babies. “A lot of women thought colostrum was dangerous,” Susie says. Now they know the importance of feeding it to their babies straight away, to give them the benefits of its natural antibodies.

Susie is keen to help out other mums in the community. “Most of the difficulties women in the community face as mothers, I also face. I want to help out any way I can.” Thanks to thoughtful Australians who bought World Vision Gifts, Susie has the power to help create the support network that is so vital for new mums.

“There are so many needs for women here,” Susie says. “I’m happy Australians are helping.”

Thank you!