The screaming silence

By Talha Masaood

In most of our homes we are plagued by the unawareness of how to adequately take care of the mother who has recently been through the life taking pains of bringing into existence a new life, nor are we sufficiently educated about the significance of the initial days of her newly conceived child. For instance, notwithstanding the weakness caused by childbirth, many mothers are unconsciously neglected when it comes to the question’ of providing for them a nutritious diet and on priority. Instead, they are implicitly called upon to understand that customarily the head of the family and other children are needed to be fed 1st and her to be fed last on every mealtime. An innocent enough custom, yet one which gives an insight to the generally prevalent behavior which reflects the lack of awareness regarding the demands of an adequate mother and child care. At the very least during pregnancy and post-delivery days this protocol should be dispensed with as was done by our elders in older days. A mother’s weakness directly affects the health of her newborn and accordingly reduces his/her chances for survival and a healthy life.

Additionally, according to many extensively researched reports, the first thousand days of any life are irrevocably significant, to be capitalized upon for a healthy, wealthy and prosperous future. Beginning from the 1^st day of pregnancy and ending on the child’s 2^nd birthday, these days require us to invest all our energies in providing the highest, most nutritious diets that can be found for the well-being of our children. Fortunately, we do not have to look far for it has been blessed to all mothers as sustenance for their infants. Colostrum also is known as liquid gold; breastmilk that is produced in the 1^st week after she has given birth to a child is richest in essential nutrients: And nature suffers no alternate to exist for such a miraculous blessing. As a result, only by breastfeeding administered by healthy mothers to our infants can we safeguard our children against malnutrition, and strengthen their immunity against all kinds of diseases.

Ironically, however, even with such a solution in their grasp, all these worthy mothers and their needlessly suffering children require our resolve and willingness for their assistance, to be breathed in as nourishment for their lives, to be the source of their well-being. For we are the ones who create and sustain beliefs and practices, who have the power to make and implement such life-saving policies, who in essence are the saviors or the murderers of all these lives. So let our idleness not make us guilty of being such murderers. Let us all gather our voices together in a unified passion of those who are striving to become saviors of all these mothers and children, and in effect their entire families.

Umeed Say Aagay is a campaign launched by those who lent their ears to the screaming silence of all those mothers and children whose agonizing struggles for survival were consumed by the noiseless depths of the afterlife. It embodies nobility of a passion to serve our fellow countrymen and aims to be heard by all those who have even an atom’s worth of honor to feel the magnanimity of such a calling to save lives. If you wish to be a part of such a cause visit our website umeedsayaagay.com and be the hope for many. For indeed saving a life, is saving an entire nation, an entire universe!