Sudan: A Day to Remember
Medair promotes the life-saving virtues of breastfeeding at the opening ceremony of World Breastfeeding Day.
Medair promotes the life-saving virtues of breastfeeding at the opening ceremony of World Breastfeeding Day.
Emily Chambers looked out over the impressive audience gathered in front of her as she spoke into the microphone.
“Awhile back, I met a woman in a clinic with a very healthy and happy four-month-old son,” said Emily, Medair’s Health Coordinator in West Darfur. “He was fat and growing well, while the other mothers nearby had very thin babies.”
Emily paused. Here in the small village of Beida, hundreds of people had assembled together for the opening ceremony of World Breastfeeding Week in West Darfur. Emily had been asked to speak at the event on behalf of Medair, because Medair promotes safe motherhood through the primary health care clinic in the village.
The day so far had been almost indescribable, filled with incredible sights, sounds, and experiences. The colourfully dressed and jubilant crowd was singing, dancing, and cheering in support.
The village had not had such a celebration in a long time.
Now, dignitaries and community representatives from around West Darfur had all quieted down to listen to her speech. Even the Locality Commissioner and the Minister of Health were there, listening. Emily drew a deep breath and continued her story.
‘We Live in a Hot Place’
“I asked this mother about her son,” said Emily, speaking in Arabic so that everyone could understand. “She explained that she gave him only breast milk, and would continue to do so until he was six months old.
“‘But how can you do that?’ the other mothers asked, incredulous. ‘We live in a hot place. Without water, the babies will die!’
“‘But her son is fat and healthy, isn’t he?’ I asked them. ‘That’s because her breast milk has enough water in it for the baby, plus it contains enough nutrients to supply all the baby’s needs.’
“When I explained this to them, the women really understood the message, and recognised that their own children—who drank water as well as breast milk—were not as healthy as this boy.”
Breastfeeding Saves Lives
In Sudan, one in 10 children still dies before the age of five. But studies indicate that with proper breastfeeding techniques in the first years of life, child survival rates can improve significantly—more than with any other preventative measures. Indeed, early introduction of breastfeeding—within an hour of the birth—can reduce neonatal morality by around 20 percent.
Education is needed to encourage more women to exclusively breastfeed their babies. That is exactly the kind of work that Medair is doing as part of our safe motherhood projects in Sudan. And that’s why, on this day, Emily welcomed the opportunity to speak in front of such a large and influential audience to promote the benefits of exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life.
“All women in Darfur need to know that they should not fear to give a baby exclusive breast milk,” explained Emily. “Fathers and grandmothers should also know this. Eighty-eight percent of breast milk is water and the rest contains vital nutrition.
“Plus there is an even more special milk in the first hour after birth that can provide immunisation to the baby,” she said. “Breast milk is truly a gift from God.”
A Day to Remember
After the speeches were over, the dignitaries toured Medair’s primary health care clinic in Beida. The Medair team had recently made significant improvements to the infrastructure of the building, including new equipment and repairs to the rooms for antenatal care, postnatal care, and the safe delivery area.
“I showed the clinic to the Minister of Health,” said Margaret Poni, Medair’s Midwife Supervisor. “She was quite impressed. She told me she would deliver a baby in that room any time even without a midwife because it looks so clean and professional.”
Later that day, Emily’s speech was broadcast over the radio where it was heard by a much wider audience. In this way, her simple life-saving message about the value of breastfeeding, spoken in Arabic so that all could understand it, reached farther than she could ever have imagined.
“It was really a wonderful opening ceremony,” reflected Emily afterward. “I’ll remember this day for a very long time.”
The life-saving message about the importance of breastfeeding still needs to be heard by many more families throughout West Darfur. Your donations help make Medair’s ongoing work possible.
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Medair’s safe motherhood activities in West Darfur are supported by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the U.K. Department for International Development (DFID), and private donations.
Medair has been operational in Sudan since 1995. In West Darfur, where Medair has been active since 2001, Medair currently provides access to primary health care and water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) for conflict-affected people. Elsewhere in Sudan, Medair supports access to WASH and promotes primary health care in South Kordofan. Medair is also active in a number of locations in southern Sudan.
This web feature was produced with resources gathered by Medair field and headquarters staff. The views expressed herein are those solely of Medair and should not be taken, in any way, to reflect the official opinion of any other organisation.
> Donate Now. Medair’s life-saving activities are dependent upon private financial support. To contribute to this work, click here
> More information about Medair's activities in Sudan (Northern States). Read More
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