Mary* (not her real name), 17, carries her son as they walk home after sharing snacks from a nearby store. Through Save the Children’s “Positive Deviant (PD) Lahat: Strengthening the Health System in Samar” Program, she continues to learn how to better support her child’s growth and nutrition.
Mary* (not her real name) was only 17 years old when she became a mother. Without proper guidance and support, she found herself overwhelmed by the responsibilities of parenthood at such a young age. “I didn’t know what to do back then. I just had to figure things out little by little,” she recalled.
Growing up, Mary was raised by her grandmother after her parents separated when she was just three years old. As the only girl among her siblings, she lived under strict and conservative rules. “It was hard to ask permission to go out, even for a short while,” she said.
Even small mistakes at home would often lead to nagging and scolding from her grandmother, making her feel constantly judged and restricted. Over time, the lack of trust and overwhelming control built up frustration, eventually leading her to rebel against her restrictive environment.
By the time she gave birth, she had left school and moved into her 13-year-old partner’s household. With her partner still studying and no guidance from her own parents, she had to take on full responsibility for their child. “It was difficult. I often turned to my partner’s grandmother or searched online just to know how to care for my baby.”
Without proper knowledge and support, Josh* (not his real name), Mary's 2-year-old son eventually became stunted—meaning he was too short for his age, a sign of undernutrition.
Things took a turn when a local health worker invited her to join Save the Children’s “Positive Deviant (PD) Lahat: Strengthening the Health System in Samar” Program—an initiative that supports young and vulnerable parents, especially those whose children are underweight, stunted, or malnourished. The program aims to strengthen the health and nutrition of children during the critical first 1,000 days of life.
One of the key components of the PDLahat program is the community-led PD and Hearth sessions. Positive Deviance refers to identifying families within the community who, despite facing poverty and difficult circumstances, have successfully raised healthy and well-nourished children. These families serve as examples, showing simple, practical actions that other families can follow to improve their own children’s health.
On the other hand, Hearth refers to a “home-like” setting where small groups of parents gather to learn, cook, and practice better childcare together using low-cost, locally available foods and resources.
In both PD and Hearth gatherings, parent leaders who were mentored by Save the Children take on different roles: some facilitate learning sessions on nutrition, health, and hygiene; others prepare meals for the group’s feeding activity; and others teach basic hygiene and organize play-based activities for the children. These activities happen simultaneously, creating a nurturing and hands-on learning environment that strengthens both parents’ and children's well-being.
What makes the sessions more impactful is the spirit of bayanihan. The food for the feeding activity is prepared using ingredients contributed by the parents and barangay officials themselves. “One mother would bring eggs, another would bring cooking oil or charcoal, and a barangay official provides rice,” Mary explained.
It was through this program that Mary learned the importance of proper child nutrition and nurturing care. “Before, I didn’t know how to prepare healthy food or why it mattered so much. I just fed my baby whatever we had,” she said.
However, even with a better understanding of what healthy meals to prepare and how to make them, Mary still finds it difficult to apply this knowledge at home, especially since neither she nor her partner has a source of income.
“It’s not always doable because we don’t have the ingredients needed to make nutritious meals. My child only gets to eat what’s recommended during the feeding program like eggs, potatoes, and malunggay. But at home, we can’t prepare the same food because of our limited budget. As they say, you just make do with what you have,” said Mary.
Still, she makes it a point for her child to eat vegetables and fruits whenever possible. By introducing these types of food into her child's diet, Josh* began to enjoy eating squash, chayote, and other vegetables.
Mary also found comfort through the parenting sessions. She discovered the importance of things that are often overlooked by a lot of parents and those that she previously considered trivial. “I realized that children shouldn’t be scolded, especially by yelling at them, because it will only worsen their behavior. They should be approached and spoken to gently whenever they make mistakes,” she said.
It was through the parenting sessions that Mary appreciated the value of positive parenting, something she hadn’t thought much about before, having grown up in a strict household. “It’s only now that I realize that we, too, deserve to be heard and understood as children,” she said.
Now, she is making a conscious effort to raise her child differently, hoping to prevent the same defiance she once felt the need to show due to strict upbringing and poor communication within their household.
“Now he becomes sociable and enjoys eating vegetables. That’s a big change,” Mary shared as she noticed the positive changes in her child’s health and appetite. Her child’s height increased significantly, and he became cheerful, and energetic, eager to play with other kids and even engage with adults.
Through the program, she is now raising her child in a way that nurtures both health and emotional well-being. “I want to raise him differently. I don’t want him to grow up the way I did.” PD Lahat gave Mary not just information but the confidence to care for her child with love, patience, and purpose.
Building on her experiences, Mary shared, “It’s truly a good thing that programs like those of Save the Children exist because they help teach new mothers how to raise and properly care for their children, especially since they are vulnerable to illness these days.”