When Program BUNDA (Mendukung Ibu Sehat dan Bahagia) first arrived in Watu Labara Village, Southwest Sumba District, Mama MM (40) was pregnant with her seventh child. At her age, entering the third trimester placed her pregnancy in a higher-risk category. Alongside the physical changes and preparations for childbirth, she was also navigating the daily challenges of caring for six children.
Mama MM was raised in a local faith tradition family. However, for many years, Mama MM rarely prayed and did not have a regular spiritual practice. In her busy daily life caring for six children, she rarely took time to pause, reflect, or appreciate the simple blessings around her.
Things began to change when she joined Program BUNDA and started receiving regular support from a Posyandu (Indonesia’s community-based health post) cadre in her village.
Program BUNDA is Indonesia’s first pilot initiative focused on maternal mental health support for pregnant and breastfeeding mothers. Implemented by Yayasan Balita Sehat Indonesia (YBS) in collaboration with midwives and Posyandu cadres, the program provides home visits and community-based support through Posyandu services.
Using a simple and practical approach, the program helps mothers manage their thoughts and emotions, strengthen social support, build healthy daily habits, and engage in spiritual reflection according to their own beliefs and values.
A Trusted Companion Through Pregnancy and Beyond
Cadre A accompanied Mama MM from the seventh month of her pregnancy until after she gave birth.
During each visit, she guided Mama MM through a daily activity calendar that included simple exercises designed to support mental wellbeing, including gratitude practices and self-reflection.
One day, while discussing the gratitude section, Mama MM asked a question that stayed with cadre A. ‘Mama, I want to be grateful. I want to pray, but I don’t know how.”.
Cadre A responded with a simple explanation. Gratitude, she said, does not have to begin with big achievements or extraordinary events. It can start with the ordinary things people often overlook.
At first, Mama MM laughed when she heard the advice. But gradually, she began practicing it in her daily life. Over time, expressing gratitude became a habit.
Finding Her Way Back to Faith
Since then, Mama MM has started praying again, attending church services –while Christianity is widely practiced in her community, and encouraging her husband and children to worship together as a family. Her newborn baby has also been baptized at church.
For Mama MM, this spiritual transformation has been one of the most meaningful changes she experienced during the program. ‘Thank you, God, for giving me the breath of life today’ became one of the simple prayers she regularly recited.
Her pregnancy and childbirth journey further strengthened her faith. After undergoing a cesarean section to deliver her seventh child, she felt the experience brought her closer to God.
“Before the surgery, I prayed constantly that everything would go smoothly. Thank God, everything went well. I felt that God helped me through the process,” she said.
She believes the support she received helped her see life from a different perspective. “Since receiving support from the cadre, I have become more grateful. I was reminded that there are many blessings in my life. Now I pray more often and feel more at peace.”
From not knowing how to cope with difficult emotions through gratitude, Mama MM now encourages her own children to attend church and grow in their faith.
The Ripple Effect of Support at Home
The impact of the program was also felt within her family.
According to Mama MM, her husband has become more attentive to her wellbeing during pregnancy and after childbirth. The messages shared during home visits were not only received by her, but also by other family members.
“My husband now pays more attention to my health. He reminds me to eat and drink well. I am grateful because during every visit, Cadre A patiently shared knowledge and guidance with our family,” she explained.
For Mama MM, these changes have made her feel more supported in her role as a mother while caring for her newborn child.
At the end of the program, she expressed her hope that this type of support could continue.
“My baby is still very young. If possible, I would love for support like this to continue for us in the future.” She ended.