J&A Oben Foundation launches first-ever breastfeeding room in Cameroon.

It was launched Friday May 5 during a ceremony at the Foundation’s headquarters in Yaounde. It ceremony together staff of the Foundation, breastfeeding mothers and other guests. 

The launching was presided by the Co-Founder and President of J&A Oben Foundation, Prof Julius Oben.

Speaking at the launching of the breastfeeding room, Prof Julius Oben said the idea of having a breastfeeding room in any institution is basically to promote exclusive breastfeeding to the age of six months as recommended by the World Health Organisation, WHO, and supported and promoted by the Cameroon government, through the Ministry of Public Health, MINSANTE. 

In an interview with The Guardian Post shortly after the launching, Prof Julius Oben said: “There are a lot of benefits in a child being exclusively breastfed. We don’t think it is fair on any mother to be deprived of this privilege just because they are working”. 

“So the idea for a breastfeeding room is to make it possible for mothers to go back to work quicker, not worrying about their children not being exclusively breastfed. We are hoping that it is something that is going to catch up with industry, as well as the public service; that each structure is able to create a little space where mothers can feel comfortable going to, in the course of the day, to breastfeed their children,” Prof Oben added.

Facilities in a typical breastfeeding room

Speaking on the facilities in a typical breastfeeding room, Prof Oben said: “It is going to depend on what means are available to the company that wants to set up a breastfeeding room”. 

“If we want to use our breastfeeding room as an example, we have made it possible that the nursing mothers can actually keep their children there. We have actually employed the services of a nanny to watch over these children while the mothers are working. The Foundation has accorded these mothers four breaks in the course of the day; basically every two hours during which they are allowed a 15-minute break to be able to go and breastfeed the children. In terms of facility, there is a cot where the child can sleep,” he disclosed.

“The key things here is the mother’s privacy. There are reasons many mothers, especially the younger mothers, are not comfortable breastfeeding in public, and so this is actually a quiet space reserved for that,” he added. 

Prof Oben furthered that: “Obviously mothers are not going to breastfeed standing; so there is a comfortable chair where they can sit and do the breastfeeding, as well as the Foundation provides things like wipes, diapers, fridge, if the mother decides to express breast milk and store. This is because sometimes there is more breast milk than demand. So, they can actually keep milk in the refrigerator”. 

Beneficial to employer, employee

“It is something that is beneficial to the company and employee for various reasons. They don’t have to worry about extending maternity leaves for the mothers. The working mothers would have been in the company for some time and have had the necessary experience. The employers don’t need to go looking for other staff when the working women are nursing their children. As well as the government encourages family life, the mothers should not be deprived of that right just because they would think they are going to lose their source of income,” he noted. 

Benefits of exclusive breastfeeding

The J&A Oben Foundation president went ahead to state that there are enormous benefits to exclusive breastfeeding. 

“The health of the child is something that is paramount and there is enough scientific evidence to show that the longer the child stays on exclusive breastfeeding, the lower the chances of that child being sick,” he said. 

“We are talking of building a healthy nation and that healthy nation starts from having healthy children. So, it is beneficial for the state and companies that mothers do not take days off because the child is sick. Looking into the future, it is beneficial for the country as we are going to have healthy citizens,” Prof Oben declared.

He said both the government and private sector should consider taking this up to get a work force that they don’t have to change every so often because women are quitting work because they want to start families.

Nursing mothers praise initiative

Meanwhile, some of the nursing mothers who are using the breastfeeding room have lauded the initiative of J&A Oben Foundation. 

According to Kiafon Tania Mispa Titcho: “It is every nursing mother’s dream to be able to breastfeed her baby on demand and it is a dream that the breastfeeding room at the work space realises”. 

“Not only are we able to give the baby proper feeding on demand, we are also able to keep the baby-mother bonding during breastfeeding and are able to continue working, knowing fully well that our baby is just few steps away,” she noted.   

“From my experience, I will encourage every company or institution to take into consideration this laudable idea and action which is being pioneered by J&A Oben Foundation.  It is great idea that is giving us female workers the opportunity to reach our full potential,” Kiafon said.

She was corroborated by another nursing mother, Mogue Fokwa Charlaine epse Fotso, who also showered praises on J&A Oben Foundation for the initiative.