Baby steps toward quality care

Nearly all of TTL’s clients are under the age of five, and the majority are younger than three. Working with children during some of the prime years of their growth and development can be very rewarding. 

With each monthly visit, our Outreach team observes monumental progress from babies gaining much-needed weight to meeting critical childhood milestones, such as reaching for nearby objects, babbling their first words, and taking their first independent steps. 

Inside the Safe Home, we watch the gradual process in real-time as sick children begin to recover. We share in some wonderful moments as these clients grow bigger every day and meet milestones along the way.

The TTL approach to battling acute malnutrition and other effects of serious illness mimics these same early growth patterns. Every step we take is small and intentional to go beyond service and provide quality care.

In Lesotho, like many countries with struggling economies, quality health care is not always guaranteed. Resources are limited and expert knowledge may not be available when needed. Yet by focusing on small achievements, the health care system gradually improves – baby step by baby step.

On Thursday, the Mokhotlong district was able to celebrate one such step. Thanks to the community investment and financial support of Letšeng Diamonds, the communities of Phahameng and Ha Senkoase cut the ribbon on their first stand-alone health posts. In these buildings, clients will now have the ability to see the doctor in a place that offers privacy and where medical supplies can be stored safely. Previously, these towns relied on community members to host the monthly medical visits.

A health post is not a fully functioning hospital, nor even a clinic with daily operations, but this small effort should not be idly dismissed. It is a baby step toward improving health overall in rural Lesotho and at TTL we are happy to support as many baby steps as it takes.