During a dissemination meeting at traditional authority Kapondo in Mchinji district, a woman between 38yrs – 43yrs, who has delivered seven times but had one living child in her life testified that with her six children, they faced a number of paediatric problems including malnutrition and eventually they died. She has one living healthy child following MaiMwana breast feeding counseling.“The counsellor convinced me to breast feed my baby up to six months with no additional food. She taught me how to position my baby to the breast, she taught me a lot, and breast milk is the best food for the baby” As excited as the woman was, she continued to say “I have a two year old boy, he is a healthy child and growing well, I never thought I would ever have one” To prove her statement of her testimony the boy ran across the room to convince the audience unknowingly.A woman in one area had terminated the counseling visits after being counselled only once because she said she was not interested in what was being offered by the counsellor. Instead she wanted handouts such as soya and fertilizer. During an evaluation interview she stated that next time she will be pregnant she wants to be counselled by a breast feeding counselor. “I have seen the benefits other women’s children, who had received counseling and had exclusively breastfed, had grown very well” she lamented.“I am thankful to the breastfeeding counsellors because I am now able to space my children. I used to deliver every other year and used to fall sick often but the child I delivered since I received advice from the counselor has grown well and without sickness. She is now six months old and very healthy”. “Breast feeding counselors should continue to visit women in the community so that those who are just getting married should also benefit. I have seen the benefits of delivering at a health facility and the importance of early initiation to the breastfeeding”.Breast feeding volunteer counsellor at traditional authority Mkanda supporting a woman to exclusively breastfeedBreast feeding volunteer counselors have improved the lives of many families in the community through behaviour change, in health care seeking, improved health facility deliveries, post natal care and under five clinics as noticed by health workers.Previously, breastfeeding counselling was done by the health workers who used to increase the knowledge on the importance of exclusive breastfeeding among the community. Women used to take it as it was for health workers, badly challenged by cultural beliefs women did not take it seriously, one of them commented “we used to say if the health worker does not speak on this he will not eat because he eats from there”.The breastfeeding volunteer counsellors, counsel families door to door, people are able to learn more from the person whom they know and trust from their area. Together with the communities, It has been easy to break harmful cultural beliefs, more because they are from the same area and know harmful cultural practices of the area. People used to throw away the first milk (yellow in color), they thought it is bad by its look, now they know it is important for the life of our babies. To achieve a successful breast feeding programme requires proper position and attachment as demonstrated above
“The counsellor convinced me to breast feed my baby up to six months with no additional food. She taught me how to position my baby to the breast, she taught me a lot, and breast milk is the best food for the baby. I have a two year old boy, he is a healthy child and growing well, I never thought I would ever have one”