Image credit: DFID UK / Jessica Lea.

Sign the Petition in the "Take Action" box on this page to tell the G7 that every mum and kid deserves the chance to live a healthy, happy life.

Over the years, my mum and I have developed a special tradition: I move, she travels with me to help me settle in, then we share a very dramatic, tear-filled goodbye while proclaiming how lucky we feel to have one another.

Even though we know we’ll see each other soon, and even though I may be slightly past the age where it’s acceptable to have my mum help me move, I think it’s ok that we treasure these moments. After all, the relationship between a mother and her child is arguably one of the most important relationships a person can have in their life. She taught you to walk and talk, gave you a home and fed you. She put up with you as a teenager, and will continue to be there to guide you through adulthood. I can’t imagine what life would be like without my mum - I would be lost.

With all of the superficial differences that seem to separate us, the bond between a mother and child is something we all can understand and relate to. The proof?

Take a look at these photos of mothers and their children from around the world.

8) India

Flickr: Pippa Ranger/ Department for International Development

7) Bhutan

Flickr: rajkumar1220

6) Bolivia

Flickr: Margaret W. Nea

5) United States

Photo: Pixabay

4) Kenya

Flickr: Nato Council

3) Peru

Wikimedia: Peter van der Sluijs

2) Palestine

flickr: delayed gratification

1) Cameroon

Flickr:Voso

Those of us who still have our mums know how lucky we are to have them, and they us. 

When my mother had me, she was prepared. She visited her doctor regularly, educated herself on prenatal health, and had a support network. She gave birth to me in a clean, hygienic hospital with the help of knowledgeable doctors and nurses, and after I was born I received all of the necessary vaccines. Flash forward to a healthy, happy, family.

What I just described is not everyone’s reality. In fact, every year nearly 300,000 mothers die from complications during childbirth, while 2.9 million newborns die within the first 28 days of their lives.

When we’re talking about numbers as huge as these, it’s easy to lose touch and forget about the individuals behind them. But take another look at the people in these pictures- they’re who we’re talking about. Mothers and children.

It’s as simple as this: when mothers are healthy and educated, they’re more likely to have healthy babies. Healthy babies are more likely to grow into healthy children, who are more likely to stay in school. You see where I’m going with this- addressing maternal, newborn and child health (MNCH) is crucial to the fight to eliminate extreme poverty.

Sign the Petition in the "Take Action" box on this page to tell the G7 that every mum and kid deserves the chance to live a healthy, happy life.

-----

Christina Nuñez

Editorial

Defeat Poverty

8 pictures of mums and their kids from around the world

By Christina Nuñez