World Breastfeeding Week in Kenya

World Breastfeeding Week Around the World: Kenya World Breastfeeding Week in other countries

Infant and Young Child Feeding in the Dadaab Refugee Camps of Kenya

The Dadaab refugee camps were established in 1991 and are situated in Garissa District of North Eastern province- Kenya, which is about 80 kilometers from the Somalia border. The official refugee population ont 30^th June 2006 was 133,986[1] with a 49:51 men to female ration. The Somali refugees make up 97.5% of the entire refugee population with the remaining 2.5 % being Ethiopians, Eritreans, Sudanese, Ugandans, Congolese, and Rwandese.

In the year 2005, CARE International in Kenya initiated the Infant and Young Child Feeding in Emergencies (IYCF-E) project. The project is being implemented through a multi-agency and multi-sectoral approach by CARE, UNHCR, GTZ, WFP and NCCK (National Council of Churches of Kenya). The main activities include capacity building of both the communities and agencies, development of behavior change, information, education and communication materials (IEC) and research to improve global knowledge on IYCF-E.

The project began with the training of 11 trainers and 30 breastfeeding counselors. To date, 140 individuals have been trained on breastfeeding counseling. Since the inception of the program, each of the camps has designated a point person for IYCF-E and breastfeeding committees have been set up. The breastfeeding promotion activities focus on individual and group counseling, as well as education talks, which take place at the blocks, tap stands, markets, hospitals and health posts.

The point persons in each camp meet regularly with the IYCF-E committees and breastfeeding counselors. Their duties include: holding regular monthly meetings, assisting the committee and counselors with individual cases, representing the breastfeeding committee and breastfeeding counselors at health committee meetings and assisting with the planning of camp breastfeeding promotion activities.

Breastfeeding committees meet regularly with mothers, the community including men, and other identified beneficiaries in order to promote and educate their communities on exclusive infant and young child feeding practices. In Hagadera camp, the committee also assists with breastfeeding counseling. In the other two camps, Dagahaley and Ifo, the respective committee members double as counselors.

IEC Development and Distribution

Fours banners with the message “Dadaab: Mother and Baby Friendly Camps and Agencies” have been developed. The message has a Somali translation reading “Dadaab Ha’yadaahaa iyo xeryaha waa lasaaxiib hooyaada iyo cunugeeda. Given the hot weather conditions in Dadaab, umbrellas carrying English and Somali messages will be distributed to the breast feeding women to protect them from the hot sun. The messages on the umbrellas link the camp-wide nutrition promotion “Kick Malnutrition out of Dadaab” with the breastfeeding promotion message “Breastfeed your Baby”. Posters with key messages on breastfeeding will be displayed throughout the week and even after the event.

Some of the members of the Hagadera Breastfeeding Committee

CODE Walk

Activities for World Breastfeeding Week will include cerebrations in each of the three camps, where guests of honor from UNHCR, CARE, and GTZ will preside. In Ifo, the guest of honor will also kick off Ifo’s CODE Walk. A CODE Walk organized by NCCK in each camp will begin at the CARE compound and proceed through the hospital, housing blocks and the market place. The participants will include committee members from other groups, breastfeeding counselors and representatives from each of the agencies operating in the Dadaab camps. The goal of the walk is to spot CODE violations and use the time to educate the individuals who have violated the CODE. It will also inform mothers on the benefits of breastfeeding, and the dangers of bottle-feeding, inappropriate labels on breastmilk substitutes and other spotted violations.

Focus Group Discussions

Currently, an intern from the CARE-USA office is in the Dadaab camps doing research to assist the project in adapting and modifying its information, education and communication materials. During World Breastfeeding Week, she will conduct focus groups discussions to inquire about the community’s knowledge of breast milk substitutes in order to try and learn more about their use in the camps.

Video Screening and Counseling

The screening of Dr. Nils Bergman’s video on Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) will be done in all the camps. The committees and counselors will be present during these shows to answer questions and assist women with any breastfeeding issues that may arise.

Sport

The activities will commence with an inter-camp football and volleyball competition. Once again, the committees and counselors will be on hand to demonstrate appropriate feeding practices and discuss and answer questions about breastfeeding. During the half time period, an education talk on breastfeeding will be presented.

World Breastfeeding Week Activities

World Breastfeeding Week will be celebrated in Dadaab from the 14^th to 19^th of August 2006. Selected activities will include:

14^th: Ifo, Guest of honor will kick off CODE Walk;
15^th: Dagahaley, Guest of honor will preside; entertainment
16^th: Hagadera, CODE Walk and Focus Group Discussion
17^th: Dagahaley, CODE Walk and Focus Group Discussion
18^th: Hagadera, Guest of honor will preside; entertainment
19^th: Ifo, football and education talks

Contact Information:

Mohammed Qazilbash
Senior Programme Manager
Emergency & Refugee Operations
CARE International in Kenya
Mobile: 0720 785730
Email: mohammedq@care.or.ke

[1] UNHCR update as at 30^th June 2006