The benefits of joining the IYCF program for Nani

Sri Wulan, 1 year 9 months, is the first child of Mursid and Fitriani, who live in Hiri Island in Ternate District in North Halmahera Province. Mursid, who is usually called Tate, works as a motorcycle taxi driver and  construction worker. Fitriani, who is called Nani, works as a housewife who always looks after Sri Wulan or Ulan.

Nani itakes part in the Wahana Visi Indonesia's Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) program,  that started in Hiri Island in 2014.

Mothers who attend the Integrated Health Post (Posyandu) learn: how to feed children according to their age, how frequently they should feed their children, and what they should be in the feeding them.

Nani exclusively breastfed Ulan for 6 months and after that she feds her daughter with supplementary food.

Every month, Ulan is taken to the Integrated Health Post (Posyandu) to get her weight measured and to receive any needed vaccines.

Fortunately, Ulan's weight continues to increase because of what Nani learned in the sessions.

When Ulan suffers from sickness, her mother takes her to the Community Health Center in Hiri to get proper treatment. Ulan is starting to eat adult foods, like rice, vegetable, and fish.

"Ulan eats three times if she does not eat snack, but if she eats snack then she will only eat twice at 11 am and 8 pm," Nani says, explaining that besides eats biscuit as snack Ulan usually eats fruits like banana, papaya, and watermelon.

"There are many benefits I got from joining the IYCF progran in the village because I learned about the best foods that should I give to my child," says Nani.

"It is not only mothers who get benefit (from IYCF program) but also family members, because if a child grows healthy, the family members will feel joy."

*Written by Stevania Oga, Development Facilitator, Wahana Visi Indonesia at Ternate operational office