“සෙනෙහෙ දිය” project focuses on maternal and child health
The project “සෙනෙහෙ දිය” which is an initiative taken by the team ‘LOS AMIGOS’ under the project ‘RotaTommorow’ organized by the Rotaract Club of University of Kelaniya, focuses on addressing the topic of maternal and child health.
The project strives forth to lend a helping hand to some teenage pregnant mothers in Sri Lanka by tackling the issues related to adolescent pregnancy. It has been planned under the supervision of the Rotaract Club of University of Kelaniya, which endeavours to provide spirit and life to numerous projects conducted throughout the year focused on a clear vision and a mission.
The project is planned to be launched under two distinct phases, with the motivation of embarking on a journey towards a better tomorrow.
Accordingly, the first phase of the project was held on the 25th of February in a children’s home in Embilipitiya area with the aim of aiding them to unfold the new chapters of their lives stronger. Moreover, the second phase of the project, which is planned to be held within March, serves to improve the mental health of teen mothers by organizing a mental health program. Apart from that, it is planned to provide them with five packages containing essential maternal items.
The first phase of the project “සෙනෙහෙ දිය” was conducted with the aim of being a beacon of hope and inspiration to some teenage pregnant mothers in ‘Vishaka’ children’s home in the Embilipitiya area. Since teen mothers often face significant environmental and psychosocial stressors, they are at risk for several mental health concerns. Thus, it may lead to mental issues including depression, substance abuse, and post-traumatic stress disorders. Identifying these undetected and unaddressed issues as aforementioned, the first phase of the project served to enhance the psychological well-being of adolescent mothers by providing them with an opportunity to connect with mental health professionals to raise their awareness of mental health issues and the relevant support available. The aforementioned mental health programme was conducted by the public health nurse, Senavirathne.
Besides mental health, the speaker focused on encouraging those mothers’ healthier dietary behaviours, since adequate and quality maternal nutrition is important for the health and reproductive performance of women as well as the health, survival, and development of children.
Thus, it was intended to enhance the level of maternal knowledge and attitude towards the importance of having balanced nutrition during pregnancy. As the second programme of the project, the organizing committee distributed some valuable books including motivational stories, pregnancy handbooks, and some other interesting books which cover a wide scope of knowledge.
Moreover, during the pre-research done before launching the project, the organizing committee realized the issue of inadequacy of materials needed for sewing in that particular children’s home. Hence, they were gifted with materials needed for sewing along with the hope of providing them with a perfect way to leisurely pass the tough times during pregnancy. As the third part of this phase, a musical programme was organized for the aforementioned teen mothers, thereby supporting them to enjoy the moment keeping all the stress aside.
Most importantly, the entire project was launched ensuring the privacy and dignity of the aforementioned teen mothers, and the organizing committee took the necessary steps to protect and respect the identity of each and every mother during the programme. In essence, the first phase of the project was accomplished with greater success paving a way for these mothers towards a better tomorrow.
The second phase of the project is organized with the aim of supporting some selected young mothers in the community by conducting a counselling programme. Moreover, with the identification of men’s role in safeguarding pregnant mothers, the programme will be conducted with the participation of the husbands of the above-mentioned mothers.
Thus, it aims at improving the little knowledge and experience that men possess regarding maternal mental health issues. In addition to that, the second phase of the project will assist the aforementioned mothers who belong to struggling families that are socially and economically disadvantaged with a package containing essential maternity items.