Women of the ELCA has been talking about the 1,000 Days Movement since the Triennial Convention and Gathering in 2011. We will continue to advocate for better nutrition for women and children in the 1,000 days between a woman’s pregnancy and her child’s second birthday. This 1,000 day window is critical for giving a child a healthy start in life. Simple, cost-effective measures help: breastfeeding exclusively for the first six months, adding appropriate nutritious food through age two, improving sanitation through hand-washing, and adding nutrient dense foods to a mothers’ diet. This strong foundation can contribute to better school performance, greater income throughout life and ultimately a stronger economy for a low income country.
Doing justice work requires stamina, passion, and a solid faith. Therefore, all time spent in the word of God, prayer and contemplation on this justice issue – 1,000 days – will pay off a hundredfold.
This message is adapted from an article by Nancy Neal and Inez Torres Davis in Interchange, the monthly newsletter of Women of the ELCA.Today we remember Boniface, Bishop of Mainz, missionary to Germany and martyr, who died in 754.