Every day, mothers around the world take on so much: from cooking meals for their families to earning an income; from trips to the doctor to visits with friends. On a recent Wednesday, our team followed Madina Mohamed – a mother of seven in Hudur, Somalia – as she went through a typical day.
Madina’s Wednesday
5:30 AM
Madina wakes up and begins preparing Somali injera – a sourdough pancake – for her children.
6:30 AM
Milks one of the family’s goats for part of the family’s breakfast.
7:00 AM
Releases her five goats and three sheep for a day out in the field with a caretaker, who herds livestock for their neighbors at a cost.
7:30 AM
Prepares her children and her grandchildren for Quranic School, also known as the Madrassa. She also does some household chores with the help of her oldest daughter.
8:00 AM
Goes to her market stall and sells groceries for a few hours until her 16-year-old daughter, Fatuma, takes over.
10:00 AM
Madina and her two-year-old son, Abdinasir, walk to the Action Against Hunger Maternal and Child Health Center in Hudur. Last night, Abdinasir developed a fever, and she was awake most of the night caring for him.
10:15 AM
At the health center, the nurse checks on Abdinasir. Madina is sent to the pharmacy to get the recommended antibiotics.
10:30 AM
One of the mother-to-mother support groups led by Action Against Hunger meets today, and Madina joins the session. Today’s topic is breastfeeding: pregnant women and mothers with young children share their experiences. The community health worker leading the meeting also talks about healthy diets for pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers.
11:30 AM
It’s very hot today – and most days – so Madina heads home and prepares her children and grandchildren for a bath. She makes sure that the little ones can cool off and be comfortable.
11:45 AM
Lunchtime! Madina prepares sorghum, a cereal that is usually eaten with goat or camel milk. It is highly nutritious for the children and for the entire household.
12:00 PM
There are three children under five in the household: Madina’s son, Abdinasir, and two of her grandchildren. Every Wednesday, she takes out a color-coded measuring tape – known as a mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) band – and wraps it around each of their arms. It’s an easy way to check their nutrition status, much like a thermometer can take a child’s temperature.
12:15 PM
Madina goes to one of the Action Against Hunger-rehabilitated shallow wells in the village. Using 20-liter containers, Madina and her daughter fetch enough water to clean the week’s laundry. With two of her daughters, they wash all the clothes on the veranda.
1:50 PM
Accompanies her children and grandchildren to the Madrassa. Five days a week, the children attend both morning and afternoon sessions at the school.
2:00 PM
It’s unbearably hot now – over 95 degrees – and it’s time for a nap. Most of the villagers close their shops in the heat of the afternoon.
4:00 – 6:00 PM
Takes care of the children and meets up with other mothers to socialize and chat.
6:15 – 6:40 PM
Medina makes sure the goats and sheep are back in the shed, and she milks another goat.
6:40 – 7:30 PM
Dinner tonight is rice and beans. Madina cooks and serves the meal with a cup of goat milk.
8:00 PM
Prepares the children for a good night’s sleep. She brings out a mat, a mattress, and a radio so she can listen to the day’s news.
9:00 PM
Madina calls one of her older sons. He still lives in Tiyeglow, their home village. Fortunately, he picks up the phone and Madina is overjoyed – she has been trying to get in touch with him for almost two weeks. They talk for about an hour before she heads back inside and goes to sleep.
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