In the Spotlight: CCCNMO Baby Shower for Afghan Moms

By Marisa Tesoro

The Refugee Services team partnered with MU Health and MU International Programs to host a baby shower and health clinic for 18 Afghan moms

Photos by Valérie Berta

Did you know baby showers have been around in the U.S. since the end of World War II? It became common for loved ones to gather round and celebrate the birth of a new baby around that time, and we’ve been ringing in the arrival of newborns this way ever since.

At the end of January, new moms from Afghanistan got the chance to participate in this tradition in Columbia, Missouri. Catholic Charities of Central and Northern Missouri (CCCNMO) Refugee Services partnered with University of Missouri Health and University of Missouri International Programs to organize a baby shower for 18 Afghan moms complete with gifts donated from community members, a health clinic, and a decadent strawberry cake made by one of the case managers.

Since the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan and the subsequent evacuation of our Afghan allies, CCCNMO Refugee Services has resettled 289 Afghan refugees (plus 6 new babies born!). They quickly became pros at round-the-clock airport pickups, cultural orientations, housing setups, getting clients to medical appointments, and grocery shopping for new arrivals.

But for at least two months leading up to the shower, Valerie Berta, Refugee Services Community Engagement Coordinator, worked closely with Paulina Broder, Associate Director of Study Abroad for Strategic Initiatives at MU, and Mary Stegmaier, Vice Provost of International Programs at MU, to plan a bit of fun for new Afghan moms.

The outpouring of community support for these families was so generous, and Berta was glad to have the help of these partners, new staff, and a new AmeriCorps NCCC team ahead of the event. Donated items were diligently inventoried for clients receiving certain grants and benefits; gifts were wrapped and packed and sorted.

When the day finally came, the team made their way to Our Lady of Lourdes Church to celebrate.

Each mom received gifts including cleaning kits with bibs, bowls and spoons, and also some treats for themselves, like lotion, Berta said.

And one case manager, Frishta, even went so far as to bake a truly marvelous strawberry cake for the occasion.

The team also provided a health clinic at the shower to give these moms helpful information as well as the opportunity to ask any questions they might have had with MU Health Care doctors Nabila Khaleel, Courtney Barnes and Chris Wilhelm present.         

From the Columbia Missourian, the clinic included the following:

They talked about health care in the U.S. and focused on pregnancy, birth and post-birth procedures.

Barnes began the conversation by discussing ultrasounds with the women so they would not be frightened of the machine. She also went over what an epidural is and explained why blood work during pregnancy is important.

Khaleel discussed topics such as jaundice and breastfeeding, and Wilhelm wrapped up the conversation by explaining why vaccines and routine checkups are important, as neither are common practices in Afghanistan due to lack of resources.

As a Muslim and female pediatrician, Dr. Khaleel helped make the women a bit more comfortable, Berta said, along with the presence of interpreters, which included one woman who is the wife of one their case managers in Fulton and from an Afghan family that immigrated to the United States 20 years ago.

Dr. Wilhelm was also a veteran who served in Afghanistan and was more than happy to help.

“It’s so good that he had known and seen most of these women already, so there was more comfort there,” Berta said.

According to Berta, he reached out to CCCNMO in the fall to let them know that he wanted to support any new Afghan arrivals who came to the area, and he’s been their go-to pediatrician ever since, helping them navigate the hurdles of the healthcare system.

With 6 new babies born since the arrival of these families, this was a great way to continue to build trust between the doctors and their patients and parents as well as a great opportunity for these moms to build relationships.

Now, as some of the dust has settled for CCCNMO and they’ve received their expected number of Afghan refugees, they’re able to dig in, re-orient themselves and help these folks build community.

There’s still plenty to be done—making various medical appointments for clients, organizing transportation for them, enrolling clients in schools, finding and organizing community sponsorship groups, sorting and distributing their donations, general case management, and more—but at least the pace has changed. They can all now take a tiny breath and savor how far they’ve come. And have a slice of strawberry cake.