WBW 2013 Heavy Community turnout in Lebialem

By Peter Monet Otto FFF Cameroon

73 mothers were sensitized during the world breatfeeding week celebration in Lebialem. The event was presided over by the District Health Medical Officer, Dr. Angu Gideon at Azi-Lebang. Participants at the sensitization workshop came from Njentse, Fonge,batibo, nkah, Mankem, Bellua, Mbindia, njenbetu, Njeh, M’mockmbie, Fongo-tonou, Ndungateh, Agongazi, Atusah, Ndoungalleh. Esso Attah, Ndonweh, Nveh and Azi health areas. To start, prayers were led by Mariana Ajengeh, a nursing mother who called on the Almighty lord to guide all the nursing mothers and their children present and those that did not have the opportunity to be at the Azi District Hospital. Dr. Angu Gideon made an opening address to explain the significance of the celebration, informing the mothers that the staff of the hospital is available at all moments to give advice on breastfeeding in cause of difficulties.Emmanuel Atangah, Secretary of Achenadia Development Association (ADA) and member of FECABPA, was delegated as focal point to assist as facilitator with Mrs. Mbu Diana, mid wife of the hospital, who is also a member of Fine Forest Foundation (FFF Cameroon). member. MBu Diana recalled past events in the health district as she presented her lecture on exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months, its advantages to the mother and the child. Emmanuel Atangah highlighted the key messages delivered during the official launching in Yaoundé and the regional briefing workshop which took place in Buea. It was observed that the Nweh women are so attached to the tradition of breastfeeding and that bottle feeding is very uncommon. Lebialem is described as the Switzerland of Cameroon with one thousand hills and valleys. This explains why the FECABPA Focal Point for the South West region regretted the very high cost of transportation of the materials to Lebialem on a very bad muddy road from Dschang. The transport fare from Dschang to Azi-Lebang, venue of the celebration was CFA 7.500, which three times the normal rate.

The population is rural and the main activity is agriculture and animal breeding. Due to the bad roads, evaluation of food crops is difficult and the people do not buy breastmilk substitute because the money is not available. Lebialem Community Radio covered the celebration and produced two live shows of one hour each and a special programme on breastfeeding. FFF Cameroon handed some materials to the radio station for the animation of the interactive live shows. The 25 social mobilizers received two thousand (2.000) Frs CFA. each for their transports and door-to-door home visits, to counsel mothers that could not go to the hospital with their babies due to long distances. The participants were appreciative of the amount of materials made available this year for the celebration.

Difficulties encountered: The road from Dschang to Azi is very bad and transportation was very difficult and costly, as passengers trekked long distance to allow the driver go out of difficult patches of the road. The President of FECABPA was guest of the special programme on Lebialem Community Radio to explain why the government and UNICEF decided to invest so much in 2013 for the breastfeeding movement and reasons for the delay in celebrations, because materials needed to be printed. T-shirts, soaps and exercise books were distributed to mothers, while the Cameroon Code on the marketing of breastmilk substitute was handed to health workers with campaign posters. It was recommended that the seed grant and support should be increased in future because Lebialem has a very difficult topography which makes community outreach on the field difficult.