By Caroline Chiimba
Breastfeeding gives children the healthiest start in life, as breast-milk promotes cognitive child development and acts as a baby’s first vaccine, giving babies a critical boost. Nutrition Action Zimbabwe (NAZ) joins the world in commemorating World Breastfeeding Week celebrated from 1-7 August under the theme, ‘Closing the gap: Breastfeeding support for all.’
In its programming, NAZ has always placed emphasis on exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months and continued breastfeeding with appropriate complimentary feeds up to two years and beyond. Breastfeeding proffers lifesaving benefits and is very key in preventing malnutrition especially in times of emergencies like drought. It reduces the burden of childhood and maternal illness, lowering health care costs and creating healthier families.
A great way of supporting breastfeeding mothers in any emergency like the current El-Nino induced drought is providing vital platforms that empower communities and women to take ownership of their health, nutrition and wellbeing. NAZ has been offering such platforms in form of care groups, where peer to peer support groups made up of pregnant or lactating women and caregivers of young children meet for knowledge sharing.
“Care groups have helped us in so many ways especially the social well-being of the women in my village. We have led difficult lives before as people used to live in silos. Noone was open to share their problems in fear of discrimination and stigma. However, when Nutrition Action Zimbabwe introduced care groups in our area, we started meeting as neighbors to learn on how to look after our children and families, it was then that we learnt that we were pillars in our community by helping each other to carry the burdens of life,” said Ruth, a Lead Mother from Beitbridge under the ERVHIZ project.
Care groups have been a vehicle for delivering breastfeeding support to mothers, as they create a platform for mothers to share their breastfeeding experiences. It is during care group sessions that lactating women are provided with timely and accurate information, as well as practical and emotional support to promote optimal breastfeeding. Harmful cultural practices are demystified, and mothers and care givers are enlightened with correct information that promote positive behavior change.
The care groups also incorporate males and the family elderly because good care and support may help women overcome difficulties and gain confidence so that they can continue to breastfeed.
“Since I joined care groups in 2022, I have drastically noticed change in the weight and medical wellbeing of my child compared to my first 2 children. With the support from my husband who authorised me to join care groups and vowed to support me through the journey, I have managed to exclusively breastfeed. He assists economically and physically through household chores, thus granting me time to rest and to breastfeed,” Tapiwa Mavhera from Mutare said.
Another mother Sinikiwe Kambarami from Tonhorai Village Mutare added: “After exclusively breastfeeding my eighth child following the training I received under Takunda project, I witnessed firsthand the numerous benefits – from improved health and immunity to the special bonding moments. These advantages have inspired me to continue this natural and nurturing practice with my ninth baby.”
In ensuring that breastfeeding women are eating healthy nutrients dense foods, Nutrition Action Zimbabwe with support from partners carried out practical activities like cooking demonstrations among care groups. The cooking demonstrations make use of locally available products like vegetables from nutrition gardens and wild fruits or crops from the field.
“Before being trained by NAZ during care groups, I did not know about the different methods and recipes of preparing food. Now I enjoys butter (idobi lendlubu) from ground nuts, and this has saved my family a lot of money as I do not buy a lot of food but locally source the food. I am currently feeding my family a balanced diet from her my farming activities. I established a nutrition garden after gaining the knowledge of its importance,” Precocious Ncube from Mangwe district said.
Strengthening and enacting policies, programs and actions that normalize breastfeeding creates clear steps and standards for supporting mothers to breastfeed even when they are affected by drought. NAZ has ensured that breastfeeding mothers are catered for through its programming in various interventions across the country.
