As one way of celebrating World Breastfeeding Week, MLW held a special event to launch a breastfeeding room which will also be used as a rest space for pregnant staff members and a breastfeeding space for staff members with young children.

This World Breastfeeding Week is celebrated from 1 to 7 August each year to encourage breastfeeding, raise awareness of the importance of breastfeeding for babies and improve the health of babies around the world.

On the occasion, MLW’s Safeguarding Officer Elizabeth Mkutumula said: “This room is here for all pregnant and breastfeeding mothers. In line with this year’s theme ‘Step Up for Breastfeeding: Educate and Support’, MLW has shown that it is really stepping up to support women before and after maternity leave”.

Before launching the room, people gathered in Nyika to share breastfeeding lessons, sing, and dance. The organisers also presented gifts to breastfeeding mothers.

The breastfeeding room is one of many new measures that MLW has put in place to support nursing mothers since last year. Among other measures, travel costs for nannies with nursing mothers were established.

Data Manager for the Public Health Group Rebecca Nzawa hailed MLW for the breastfeeding lessons and the provision of the room.

“In my first trimester, I would knock off early just to get a nap at home. This room will go a long way in helping pregnant and breastfeeding mothers. I have also learnt new things from the breastfeeding lessons,” said Nzawa.

The World Health Organisation recommends that children initiate breastfeeding within the first hour of birth and should be exclusively for the first 6 months.