Mother-Baby Friendly Office Movement

For Daniel Setyobudi, a World Vision Indonesia finance staff member, November 12, 2012 is a very special day. That day his first son was born.

Happily, Daniel accompanied his wife Ida during the delivery process, but the stressful experience of the delivery of a first child can be overwhelming.

Appropriate care for a baby during the first 1,000 days, including time in the womb, will determine the future health of the child.

The low number of exclusively breast-fed babies in Indonesia shows that mothers are having difficulties. The three common challenges for mothers are: lack of information, lack of family support, and lack of health facilities.

So what can we do?

For World Vision Indonesia, young infant and baby feeding is a priority. Appropriate care for a baby during his or her first 1,000 days, including time in the womb, will determine the future health of the child. World Vision Indonesia and its special partner Wahana Visi Indonesia try to help parents and health workers understand the importance of infant and young child feeding.

Even more, World Vision policy makes sure that its staff can practice infant and young child feeding correctly. The staff are the change agents for the community in implementing infant and young child feeding.

World Vision's Asia Pacific Regional Office invited an advocacy team on breastfeeding consisting of Dr. Felicity Savage King, Sandra Lang, and Carol Williams to share on infant and young child feeding policy & advocacy to staff from several World Vision offices in Asia.

As a result of the training, World Vision offices agree to start the Mother-Baby Friendly Office movement. The aim of this movement is to help World Vision staff, wherever they work, in implementing the program and providing facilities for mothers to do infant and young child feeding.

*Written by Esther Indriani, Specialist Maternal Child Health & Nutrition, South Asia & Pacific Regional Office | Edited and Translated by Bartolomeus Marsudihardjo, Field Officer, World Vision Indonesia