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Bloggers Against Poverty #withOxfam

4 April 2016 by Naomi Leave a Comment

Do you ever stand in your kitchen look around and think what on earth am I going to cook us all for dinner tonight?

With all the best menu planning intentions this happens often in our house. I browse through my fridge/freezer/kitchen cupboards looking at the various food items, be they tinned, fresh or frozen and sigh… ‘There’s nothing for dinner’. 

Salama and her Son Hama

This week I was invited to join Oxfam in their new bloggers against poverty project. As I read through some of the information I was sent, with half a mind on what meal I was going to pull together for us all that evening, I was handed a reality check.

What if I really had nothing for us all to eat? What if our cupboards where actually bare? What if I couldn’t get my children a drink of water?

Did you know that the country of Niger is prone to chronically high levels of food insecurity, and crisis levels of malnutrition are the norm.

Did you know that malnutrition is aggravated by a lack of clean water? The water collected for everyday use is often a source of water-borne disease such as dysentery, cholera and malaria.

 Salama (38) and Hama, her baby boy, 9 months


Salama (38) and Hama, her baby boy (9 months)

I started thinking about Matthew & Emma and how blessed we are to be able to provide so much for them. Not just food but safe water to drink and a clean environment to live in. Both of my babies were brought into this world in a warm and sanitary hospital room where we were all well looked after by midwives and I was able to shower within hours of giving birth. I am sure like many of you, it never occurred to me for it to be any other way, yet it was still such a worrying time.

I simply cannot imagine having a baby without the certain knowledge of even clean water much less a sanitary environment and access to trained medical staff. I cannot fathom the anxiety that must bring.

In our house, Matthews insatiable appetite is a source of amusement. My little boy could already, at 11 months old, eat me out of house and home if I let him. I am blessed enough that his meal times end because I know he has eaten more than enough, it is not a matter of running out of food.

I simply cannot imagine literally not being able to feed my children. To have my babies crying and distraught from hunger that I can do little to nothing about. I cannot imagine the desperation, the guilt, the fear, the overwhelmingness of the situation. I am so sad that so many mothers in the world do have to live this way.

Salama and her Baby Boy Hama

Then I read about Salama and her little boy Hama. Salama gave birth to her son without difficulties, but shortly after his birth she didn’t have enough nutrition to give to him.

Salama’s Story, in her Words

“Hama suffered from a fever, diarrhoea and vomiting. He would have brief periods of health and then get sick again, so I brought him into the clinic.
“He was given paracetamol and rehydration, but 6 months later he was diagnosed with malnutrition. He received treatment and responded well. He’s ok at the moment, is still sick occasionally.
“The availability of the clinic is a great thing for us. Before, we had to get to Agadez town. It was impossibly expensive to travel, then accommodation and food. But now this service is here, it’s much more doable.”
“We are completely delighted to get the water system in our health centre – before it was here we had to go to the neighbouring village to fetch water for going to the treatment centre. It was difficult for the nurse to really look after us. Now, they can wash our babies when they have diarrhea. There’s a laundry system and everything is sanitary.”
“We are really proud of Oxfam because Oxfam helped us women a lot to support our children. We’re really grateful to Oxfam because we’re now really well informed about health issues.” “My great hope is that my baby recovers, grows, studies, and gets a decent job.”

Oxfam are fighting malnutrition by installing water and sanitation facilities in clinics and communities. They are promoting good nutrition and hygiene, helping women to take the best possible care of their babies. Last year, Oxfam helped 11.8 million people, but they can’t do all of this alone.

Sometimes I think it is easy for us to feel a million miles away from problems like those of Salama. Surely we are too far away, too insignificant to make a difference to such awful poverty. But actually we can help, whether it is as little as donating outgrown clothes to the Oxfam shop in town or donating money each month, every action is at least that. It is an act against poverty.

If you would like to donate to Oxfam now you can do so here.

Naomi-16

 

 

 

Oxfam-blogger-badge

Posted in: Lovely Little Family, Things We Do Tagged: bloggers against poverty, charity, family, oxfam, parenthood

The Ordinary Moments #3

21 March 2016 by Naomi 1 Comment

It’s funny, if you asked me my favourite colour I would probably say I don’t have a favourite and then choose green if you pushed me.
If you asked Emma what mummy’s favourite colour is she will undoubtedly tell you it’s purple. Just as she tells me!
But as I looked back through the photos I have taken in the last couple of weeks there does seem to be rather a lot of purple. As if I gravitate towards it without noticing, yet Emma had!

crocus patch

I too often forget that at the age of 4 she is much more observant and aware of what is going on around her than I tend to give her credit for. She also has a long term memory that defies belief and is starting to catch us out! (Like the Eeyore teddy that was an unfortunate victim of a sick bug when she was barely 2, it was never going to be clean in my eyes again so got chucked. This went by completely unnoticed until she asked for it recently, recalling the exact circumstance in which she last saw it two years ago.)

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I find that I am spending more and more time battling with my expectations of Emma. I flip between ‘Am I expecting too much, 4 is still so little after all!’ and ‘She’s 4 of course she should be able to …..’! Parenting can definitely be a battle but I am starting to realise most of the battles take place between me and myself.

I am much the same with Matthew, on the one hand I am desperate for him to stay my baby because he will most likely be our last and I can’t bear the thought of him turning 1 next month (this deep seated denial is probably why I’ve still done nothing about a birthday party!!). On the other hand I can’t wait for him to start walking a little and be safe on his legs so I can safely put him down when my arms are aching and I’m trying round up Emma and her shoes/bags/cardi’s/coat/random items at nursery.

Emma Matthew

Perhaps lately I have spent too much time over thinking and not enough time doing. I really want to make the most of the next 5 months, making memories with my lovely little family as we are now before September arrives and we enter a whole new season of life. Between the weather and many little illnesses I feel we haven’t got off to the start I’d hoped but it was the 1st day of Spring yesterday so hopefully we can turn a corner and get out a bit more!

We have managed a couple of little walks recently and I’ve taken to demanding a cringeworthy family selfie each outing which I actually love. One of my biggest bug bears is that we have virtually no pictures of us as a whole family and if this is the only way to do it then so be it!

family shot 1

family shot 2

This post has turned into something of a brain emptying exercise, I hope my rambling just about makes sense. These are certainly our ordinary moments though!

Linking up with Mummy Daddy Me for #OrdinaryMoments.

Naomi-16

 

Posted in: Lovely Little Family, Things We Do Tagged: Emma, family, March, Matthew, nature, ordinary moments, outdoors, parenting, Spring

The Ordinary Moments 2016 #1

11 January 2016 by Naomi 4 Comments

This last week has been a week of two halves for me. We were still in the last throes of our holiday mindset while our normal routine was starting to creep back in.

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Vince had gone back to work over the New Year period but he had Tuesday at home which happened to be the last day before nursery started for Emma. I am determined, in our own way, to squeeze as many little adventures in as we possibly can over the next 8 months before Emma starts school. So despite the gloom and drizzle, we grabbed the most suitable clothing we could find (realised a shopping trip is in order!) and headed out to the beach in nearby Bexhill.

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It was our first time visiting this particular little stretch of local coastline. It is lovely, so pretty and peaceful, although I do want to go back in good weather when I’m sure it is even prettier but probably less peaceful! There is a lovely promenade to walk along, which I did with the pushchair while Emma tore about on the beach with daddy.

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We were not out too long as it really did start to bucket down but it was a worthwhile little trip. By the time we got home I had some pizza dough risen and ready for family pizza making. It was fun, took no time at all and made the perfect end of the day treat. As a bonus it’s a much healthier way to eat pizza and try to sneak veggies into Emma, so we’re going to make it a more regular thing.

On Wednesday life took on its more usual routine and I decided it was time to get some ‘spring cleaning’ started. My plan/hope/dream is that I will have thoroughly sorted, organised, decluttered and cleaned every room by the end of January… *ahem* Well, I will try at any rate. I started in the bathroom while Emma was at nursery and found that a baby on the move is not all that helpful! So I lined the bath with an old quilt, threw in some toys and in went Matthew. The bath will be cleaned in a nap time at some point!

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I have been doing some crochet this week too, of course! I’ll share it with you soon!

{The Ordinary Moments} is a linky I recently stumbled across on the blog Mummy Daddy Me hosted by the lovely Katie who writes there. Do pop over and have a look!

Naomi-16

Posted in: Lovely Little Family, Things We Do Tagged: beach, Bexhill, Emma, family, happy things, January, Matthew, outdoors, routine, the ordinary moments, walks, winter
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