Mumbai: As part of World Breastfeeding Week, the Society for Nutrition, Education and Health Action (SNEHA) organised an awareness camp in the Wadala slum community this week. To help and encourage mothers to breastfeed their children, the NGO plans to reach and raise awareness among 10,000 families in the community.
As part of the awareness campaign, SNEHA NGO organised sessions with several mothers and fathers of children aged 0–2 years. Organised in collaboration with ICDS teachers, the Raoli Maternity Home, Raoli UPHC Health System staff, and community volunteers, the NGO will highlight topics such as exclusive breastfeeding, proper breastfeeding positions, common issues, and the disadvantages of bottle feeding.
Aside from this, the NGO also held rallies and community walks bringing together Community Volunteers, ICDS staff and Raoli maternity home staff to show breastfeeding support. The NGO has also conducted street plays among the community members that highlight the many benefits of breastfeeding and address common challenges mothers face. The NGO will continue to hold these breastfeeding awareness sessions throughout the month.
Speaking on the initiative, Shalini Jagdish, Associate Programme Director, Maternal and Child Health said, “As part of our outreach with the community, we have often witnessed many challenges related to breastfeeding. This could include beliefs in myths, hesitation or fear among mothers about breastfeeding their children. Through our activities for this week, we aim to educate and support mothers to overcome these hurdles and make a positive impact on breastfeeding practices and our initiative aims to build the capacity of community volunteers, enabling them to disseminate accurate information on breastfeeding and promote best practices within the community. This in turn will help to improve the health of both the mother and their children.”
SNEHA also organised home visits with the family members in the Wadala community. The NGO’s volunteers have actively shared videos and pictures explaining about the advantages of breastfeeding for children. The NGO is ramping up its efforts in its outreach programmes towards the communities it caters to as part of its 25th Anniversary.
