When twins Erdene-sukh and Erdene-Baatar were born into a poor family in urban Mongolia three years ago, they were already at a strong disadvantage. With severe food shortages throughout the country, 45% of Mongolians suffer from undernourishment, leading to stunted physical and mental development in children.

Both of the twins were weak, underweight with small appetites, abnormally large heads and stunted bodies.

“I would have to take my children to hospital many times, I could not afford the bus fare and the medical expenses,” says their mother Tsedevsuren, admitting that times were tough.  “Life was difficult, sometimes I wished that the twins had not been born.”

The twins’ fortunes started to change after World Vision introduced child nutrition initiatives through the sponsorship programme in Ulan Bataar. Through the nutrition initiative, Tsedevsuren learned about better nutrition for her children, and soon she was passing the information on to other mothers.

The twins attended Summer Health Strengthening camp, where they received massages, nutritious food and dairy products, while their care givers ( parents, grandparents, guardians and older brother and sisters) received training on how to continue this approach at home. They also learned the causes, symptoms and prevention of rickets and anemia, two conditions that are rife in malnourished Mongolian children.

Tsedevsuren became a volunteer mother after she saw the differences in her twins as a result of the nutrition program. She attended trainings on children’s health; child care, complementary food cooking, identifying common childhood diseases, and establishing where to go to get help. Now she is responsible for advising 12 nearby households on child health issues.

The twins have an older brother and sister who take it in turns to look after them while their parents work. They’ve noticed the changes too, because the twins are healthier, more active and with a stronger appetite. The twins have also taken a liking to vegetables, which were rarely on the table before the nutrition training was held.

Other community initiatives include treatment of vitamin and micronutrient deficiencies in pregnant women and under-5s, as well as a very successful “sprinkles” multi-nutrient program to combat rickets and anemia in children.

But for Tsedevsuren, knowledge is the most powerful tool in looking after her children’s health.

“I like the World Vision training as it helps me to take care of my children. Now they don’t get sick anymore,” she says with a proud grin.

More about World Vision in Mongolia