BY BENARD ONDARI
Kisumu reflected the world Breastfeeding Week with celebrations themed “Prioritize Breastfeeding and Create Sustainable Support Systems,” with activities, teachings, and testimonies highlighting male involvement and community behaviour change as essential for sustainable breastfeeding support.
The County Government of Kisumu, working alongside the Kenya Red Cross, UNICEF, the French Embassy in Kenya, KMET and YWCA, spearheaded activities that highlighted how families and communities are adopting the Baby Friendly Community Initiative (BFCI) to ensure exclusive breastfeeding and combat malnutrition.
For fathers like Tom Edwins Amimo from Ayuro Kanyagwal location, engaging men has significantly enhanced not just household nutrition but also family connections. “I go with my wife to clinic appointments, and we are encouraged to participate in sessions together. In fact, we even receive priority in queues as couples under BFCI. We started this journey as a team from pregnancy,” he states.
Amimo observes that many families have transitioned from depending on traditional birth attendants to giving birth in medical facilities. Fathers are also actively engaged in preparing nutritious meals for their wives, creating cozy spots for breastfeeding, and splitting household chores.
“We have recognized that with emotional, financial, and practical assistance, a mother can produce sufficient milk. We even initiated kitchen gardens to ensure that food is always available,” he adds.
The teachings go beyond just support and nutrition. Fathers learn about food groups, the significance of balanced diets, and the impact of exclusive breastfeeding for 180 days.
Meanwhile, Olivette Owino, an exclusive 0-6 moths breastfeeding champion, showcased the proper positioning and attachment techniques using a dummy baby.
She stressed the importance of patience, allowing the baby at least 20 minutes per feeding to access both foremilk, which satisfies thirst, and hindmilk, which provides energy and promotes growth.
“We previously discarded colostrum, but now we understand that it acts as a child’s first immunization—rich in antibodies and crucial for immunity,” Olivette shared.
Both Tom Edwins Amimo and Olivette Owino are beneficiaries of the Father-to-Father and Mother-to-Mother support groups respectively- programs under the BFCI that champion breastfeeding by creating sustainable family and community support systems.
According to Rael Mwando, the County Nutrition Coordinator, the initial milk; colostrum functions as a newborn’s first immunization, which makes the timeframe from birth to six months essential for exclusive breastfeeding.
“We believe in feeding the mother so that she can nourish the baby. The entire survival and development of a child during those crucial first six months’ depends on the mother’s capacity to produce high-quality milk,” she explained.
Mwando stressed that pregnant and lactating mothers should consume from a minimum of five out of ten food groups each day to sustain proper nutrition.
“For optimal breastfeeding, mothers should take their time, eat well, and maintain meal variety,” she added.Mwando also encouraged continued breastfeeding beyond six months, up to two years or beyond even as complementary foods are introduced. She pointed out that after the exclusive breastfeeding phase, children should receive foods from at least four food groups daily to ensure adequate nutrition.
Community Health Promoters (CHPs) trained as trainer of trainers have been fundamental to the program by facilitating bi-weekly meetings and home visits.
Through their role plays at the event, they challenged myths and misconceptions about breastfeeding, particularly among mothers-in-law who often sway feeding practices.
World Breastfeeding Week, a global initiative initiated in 1992 and aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) since 2018, calls for intentional efforts to support breastfeeding as a vital aspect of child survival and nutrition.
The celebration in Nyang’ande illustrated that when men, women, and entire communities come together, children are provided with a stronger and healthier beginning in life.
“We nourish the mother so she can nourish the baby. Breastfeeding is a collective responsibility,” Mwando concluded.