Slovak babice support Rom families with prenatal and early‑child care

In the north‑eastern Slovak village of Smizany, a Rom community of about 3,200 people is served by social workers known as “babice”. The project “Mission 1000” places these babice in the community to provide health mediation during the first 1,000 days of a child’s life.

Lenka Bagarova, a 41‑year‑old Rom mother of three, works as a babica. She assists pregnant women, attends births, and runs early‑learning activities for children such as Valentinka. She stresses the need to adapt to each family and to build trust from pregnancy onward, saying, “I want to be a good babica.” The babice split their week between hospital duties and home visits, aiming to ensure mothers follow medical protocols and children receive early stimulation.