EXCLUSIVE BREASTFEEDING:
Bauchi Peasant Farmer Supported Wife with Farm Produce
By Adamu IMAM Bauchi
2024 Exclusive Breastfeeding with the theme, "Closing the Gap: Breastfeeding Support for All"
As part of efforts to encourage and support breastfeeding mothers to exclusively breastfeed for the first six months, a Bauchi-based peasant farmer, Malam Ibrahim says he is working had through farming to support his wife to succeed in her exclusive breastfeeding months.
Ibrahim disclosed this in Bauchi on the commemoration of this year's long breastfeeding week during an interview with Anatarenews on the need to encourage spouses to join hands in feeding their children with breast milk.
Ibrahim with Halima holding little breasfed babyAs a subsistence farmer whose goal is to grows crops on small scale level to meet the basic needs of his family, it may sound unwise to abandon farming at a time of food scarcity and soaring prices of goods and services.
However, Malam Ibrahim has taken that difficult decision, just to support his wife in the first six months after birth, to enable her carry out exclusive breastfeeding successfully.
"through my farming activities, I do feed my family, and also encourage my wife to exclusively breastfeeding our baby for the first six months.
Moreso, what I cultivate from farm is for feeding the family, despite the economic hardship, i am not selling the crops after harvest, that is how I, my wife, and our five 5 children are surviving" he said.
Malam Ibrahim in his FarmIbrahim added that he usually cultivates variety of crops to contribute in the fight against hunger, and cushion the effect of food crisis within his family members.
"By the grace God, my wife also contributes to the family through rearing of animals and laundry services.
Now she is not going out in search of work as a housemaid or cleaner, instead, earns 10,000 naira per month from rearing animals and laundry services, to support her exclusive breastfeeding exercise as well" he maintained.
Malam Ibrahim during interview Corroborating Ibrahim's effort in getting things done to save their children's health through exclusive breastfeeding, his wife Halima a nursing Mother says she also engages in activities that are income-generating to support the family.
Halima Ibrahim a Lactating Mother, testified that her husband is very supportive when it comes to feeding the family especially during my nursing period and contribute immensely in breastfeeding our baby, infact his always by my side on issues during pregnancy and delivery as well as first six months of exclusive breastfeeding.
Halima with her little baby"My little baby approaching six months, and all this while, we have been on exclusive breastfeeding, at the expiration of six months, we will start complimentary feeding using local grains such as Soya beans, groundnut, sorghum ecetra".
"I hereby encourage women to always settle with their husbands to have a sustainable family upbringing, especially on matters of exclusive breastfeeding and subsequently complimentary feeding for healthy living" Halima Emphasized.
On her part, Fauziyya Abubakar also a nursing mother says supports from their husbands always gives them more courage and energy to hold on six months exclusive breastfeeding inspite all odds, especially with challenges from the family members and some grandparents in some instances
"I always breastfeed exclusively without water, and that keeps them looking good and healthier, my baby is just three months now"
Recently, during a media engagement, organized by UNICEF Bauchi Field Office BFO held in Yola the Adamawa state capital, the United Nations Children's Fund UNICEF lamented that according to multiple indicator cluster survey MICS 2021 on breastfeeding exercise in five states in the north, including Bauchi state was very poor, hence the need to enlist the support of husbands to achieve desired breastfeeding goals.
UNICEF also advised grandparents and other family members to always support women in their quest to observe 6 months exclusive breastfeeding for a healthy society and achieving universal health coverage by the year 2030. While encouraging media to go extra miles to champion the course of saving the children in what ever forms as part of social responsibility, especially on exclusive breastfeeding.
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Health