Fifty mothers and families will receive assistance in post-natal care as part of a Breastfeeding and Child Nutrition Foundation (BCNF) initiative.
It will identify low-resourced and vulnerable mothers, including those with babies in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, and provide an educational workshop that will give mothers the practical tools and knowledge to breastfeed successfully.
Supported by the Sandy Lane Charitable Trust (SLCT), $20 000 in supplies have been donated to the programme for the provision of a breastfeeding kit designed to offer all the tools they will need.
“Each selected mother will receive a carefully-designed bundle containing essential breastfeeding support tools,” BCNF co-founder Dr Alison Bernard said during a recent presentation of supplies held at the Barbados Family Planning Association in Harmony Hall, St Michael.
The donation coincided with the commemoration of Breastfeeding Month, celebrated in August as a way to raise awareness on the benefits of breastfeeding as well as to promote support for breastfeeding families.
As one of its mandates, the BCNF charity seeks to protect, promote and support breastfeeding and optimal early childhood nutrition.
“We know that breastfeeding is one of the most powerful interventions for reducing the risk of NCDs (non-communicable diseases), improving maternal health and giving babies the healthiest possible start to life. So, this project is a perfect expression of our mandate,” Bernard said.
“It’s not just about the kit. We also provide targeted education through workshop settings during the course of the project, giving mothers both the practical tools and the knowledge to breastfeed successfully. We’ll be using monitoring evaluation to track the impact, not only to demonstrate the difference we’ve made to these mothers and their families, but also to guide and strengthen future programmes,” she added.
Bernard was joined by members of the Ministry of Health and Wellness’ Public Health Nursing Team, the Rotary Club of Barbados and trustee of the SLCT, Pippa Challis.
“Improving a child’s health and providing all the nutrients needed and the natural antibodies needed to keep them going is a big part of breastfeeding,” Challis said. “Whilst I’m no doctor, I was a working full-time mother and remember many hours of pumping milk at 5 a.m. so I can be at my desk in the morning by 6:30 a.m. and it’s not easy.
“I think what better way of celebrating motherhood, childhood, than making a donation like this. We look after the underprivileged children of Barbados, but also, let’s hope we can give to other families. There’s a lot of money they can save and spend on other things. So, we’re thrilled to be here today,” she said.
