Grandmothers: A Learning Institution - Basic Education and Policy ...

grandmothers have a great influence onthe knowledge and practices of youngerwomen and their children. They arerespected because of their experience caringfor children, their advice is frequentlysought, and they often are directly involvedin caring for young children” (Aubel &Hoemeke 1995, 33). It was recommendedthat future child survival strategies shoulddirectly involve grandmothers given theimportant role they play at the householdlevel.Benin: In Bariba culture, when youngwomen marry, their husbands expect theolder, experienced women in the family toadvise and look after their wives, especiallywhen they are pregnant and after theygive birth (Bio 2003).This is true both inrural and more urban areas. For couplesliving in more urban areas, away from thepaternal household, when a woman isabout seven months pregnant one of theolder women in the family, often an aunt,goes to stay with the couple in order toprovide the close follow-up required thelast months of the pregnancy. The “aunt,”as she is referred to, observes and providesadvice to the pregnant woman onher diet, work and other activities.Especially with the first child the husband isnot supposed to be too involved eitherduring the pregnancy nor after his wifegives birth. The belief is that the childbelongs to, and is the responsibility of thewhole family, but especially of the femalesin the household. It is expected that all ofthe “aunties” in the family, i.e. the maturewomen, will play a role in advising and caringfor the young woman and her infant.After birth, either the “auntie” stays on tocare for the newborn and new mother orthe mother and newborn go to stay withthe mother-in-law, often for two years, tobenefit from the informal teaching andsupport required by a new mother. In virtuallyall cases, husbands assume thatresponsibility for caring for their wives andyoung children will fall to their mothersand other aunties, based on their experienceand age.Senegal: In the past ten years, four studieshave comprehensively documented the significantrole and influence of grandmotherson breastfeeding, on maternal and childnutrition, on practices with newborns, andcare of young children. In l995, a studyfunded by USAID (MOH/WELLSTART),coordinated by the author of this review,showed that,“In both rural and urbanareas the predominant influence onwomen’s practices related to breastfeedingis the advice and support they receivefrom the older women who are part oftheir social networks. Compared withhealth workers, these older women arecloser to them, more respected, and havemore influence on them.” (5) From birth,women are advised on how to care fortheir child in all respects, by their mothersin-law,their own mothers, and by otherexperienced women in the family.In 2001, Christian Children’s Fund conducteda study (Aubel et al.) on the role ofgrandmothers in Maternal Child Health(MCH) in the context of its child survivalproject in western Senegal. It documentedthe central and multi-dimensional roleplayed by grandmothers in family life andspecifically related to issues concerningwomen and children. The study clearly58 UNITED STATES AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT