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

showed that men are not directly involvedin child care and development issues andon all such matters they are advised bytheir mothers regarding what should bedone and what support should provide.While husbands are expected to makecertain key decisions related to the welfareof women and children, it is clear that inmost cases they are advised by their motherswho have infinitely more experienceand knowledge of these issues. Theseinputs into their decision-making from their“resident technical advisors,” i.e. theirmothers, are generally overlooked.A study on newborn health was commissionedby BASICS in 2002 and conductedby the anthropologist, Niang (2003). Thefocus of this investigation was pregnancy,childbirth, and newborn care. However, itclearly reveals the influence of seniorwomen in the family and specifically theauthoritative role of mothers-in-law overthe lives and practices of daughters-in-lawrelated to themselves and their children.More broadly, it reveals the influence of thesocial networks of women in which alldaughters-in-law are a part, composed primarilyof female family members. Withinthese networks it is the senior women, orgrandmothers, who are the key advisorsand supervisors of pregnancy, delivery andchildcare after birth. Direct communicationbetween husbands and wives is limited andin many cases the mother-in-law serves asan intermediary. For example, in manycases a woman first informs her mother-inlawof a pregnancy and, in turn, the husbandis informed by his mother. Husbandsare advised by their mothers on all issuesrelated to maternal and child health anddevelopment, and similarly, they expecttheir wives to follow the advice of theirmothers.Tanzania: A study was conducted toexamine household practices related totreatment of childhood malaria in order todetermine how to strengthen family strategies(Nsimba 2003). It was found that thekey actors in diagnosing and deciding whatto do when a child has malaria are thegrandmothers, or mothers-in-law.They arethe decision-makers regarding what shouldbe done at home and whether it is necessaryto seek outside treatment. Also, theycollaborate closely with the traditionalhealers, who are frequently consultedespecially for some types of malariabelieved to be caused by evil spirits.Cameroon: A study conducted with six ofthe major socio-cultural groups showedthat when children have diarrhea andother common childhood illnesses, relativelyfew are taken to health facilities andmost treatment is provided within the family(Aubel & Ndonko 1989). Furthermore,within the family it is the experienced,older women who are primarily responsiblefor deciding on the treatment strategyto be adopted.Kenya: An extensive study on child-rearingpractices in several rural and urban areas(Swadener et al 1996) revealed that inrural sites grandmothers generally continueto play a strong role, both in providingchildcare where younger mothers havemultiple other tasks to carry out and toplay an important role in the enculturationof young children; passing on stories, songs,values and traditions. In urban areas andGRANDMOTHERS:THE LEARNING INSTITUTION59