Meet Christine. She could be the young mother from next door. Or she could be the one from down the street. Or she could be the one from the other side of town. Unfortunately, she is not.
She is a young mother living in rural Congo. The opportunities for Christine and her children is limited. There is limited access to health care. There is greater chance that they will not survive a preventable or curable illness or disease. Malaria, measles, dysentery and typhoid are deadly diseases.
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Polio was eradicated from the US many years ago. Today, it is just one of the often forgotten vaccines and shots routinely given to children. They are given during a baby's scheduled checkup.
In Congo and most developing countries, babies do not have checkup schedules. Most babies are not even born in a health facility. Many times, health facilities and trained personnel are not available. So, it is not uncommon that poor parents do not routinely take their children to the doctors for checkups.
Sadly, that's why one out of five children in the Congo do not live long enough to see their fifth birthday. Polio kills and cripples.
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Baby showers are an established tradition for us. Presents are given to the expectant mother in advance. It's a joyous occasion.
Many times, the sex of the baby is known in advance. So the expectant parents can plan ahead. Even well wisher can give sex-specific cards and clothes.
In rural Congo, the expectant mother is in everyone prayers. She is probably busy preparing for a temporary halt to her normal chores.
Any celebration is planned after the birth. Any baby-names are chosen after the birth. Because, many mothers and newborns do not survive the labor and childbirth.
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