Baby Care Centre

The Baby Care Centre – christened as Edmund Rice baby care- was established in 2014 as a measure to respond to the high rates of malnutrition among children under five. Our clinic recorded high rates of malnutrition at an increasing and worrying rates an issue that needed to be addressed promptly. This rate was attributed to high rate of poverty and the fact that most mothers with young children were not working or earning a livelihood because they had no safe place to leave their babies. Single mothers head most of the households in the Mukuru community. As a result they could not afford proper diet for their children hence the detrimental effects on their health and growth. The essence of this baby care is to free up mothers to go and work while they leave their children in a secure and safe place which is also child friendly.

In our baby care Centre the children are well taken care of by our three care givers who are continuously trained on emergency issues, hygiene, nutrition and child care to equip them with right skills to help them handle children in a proper and professional manner. Currently the baby care is a home to over 50 babies every day. The mothers are required to pay Ksh 30 on daily basis but those who are completely desperate and cannot afford the thirty shillings are connected with our social program for social assistance. The children receive porridge every morning. The mothers are required to pack lunch for their children, which we supplement mostly with protein and vegetables. Our nutritionist occasionally checks what the mothers pack for their children and advices them accordingly about diet.

The children also receive free medical care at our clinic if they fall ill while under our care. The Centre has a well outlined daily schedule of activities for the children to keep them well engaged and to facilitate their learning. Such activities include: dance and aerobics lessons from our sports team, singing games, social and interaction skills, hygiene skills and much more. This comprehensive service has made the baby care gain popularity within the community and most mothers feel their babies are safe at our facility. It is a win- win situation for Ruben Medical Clinic as far as malnutrition is concerned and for the mothers.