In the morning of 23rd January 2008, a young mother, along with several mothers from Kecamatan Cilincing, North Jakarta, was preparing herself to go to Jakarta Convention Center with a bus. At first it was a little bit rainy in the morning, but fortunately, the day become quite bright and so friendly for Yanti, that young mother, to travel. This trip takes a little bit time, but at last, with patience, Yanti with other mothers came to Jakarta Convention Center. So many people there and Yanti with the others has been lead by the midwives from their region into the certain place that has been set for them. This event is the event that Yanti, along with other 1000 mothers from every Jakarta’s region will declare together for early initiation of breastfeeding. It is The Declaration of 1001 Mothers for Early Initiation for Breastfeeding event that has been organized by The Government of DKI Jakarta along with other partners such as USAID, HSP, and also Mercy Corps.
Yanti then take a seat in that large convention room. She became curious because this events will change about how she treat her second baby in her womb forever. And then, two Mercy Corps staff came to her and had an interview with her. “My name is Yanti, and I came from Cilincing, North Jakarta. This is my second pregnancy and it has been 9 months already.” She said. She confessed that she curious about the early initiation for breastfeeding. “This is a new thing for me because my first son didn’t have the early breastfeeding because i didn’t know about the early breastfeeding yet. After a couple explanations from Midwives in my region, then I decide to participate in this event” She said. Not many mothers know about the early initiation of breastfeeding yet, and it’s so bad because based on the scientific studies, the early initiation breastfeeding can prevent 22% for baby’s death. Not only that. The early initiation breastfeeding can raise baby’s immune from many disease only with the simple early initiation of breastfeeding. Because of this, many of organization now start to fight for this early initiation of breastfeeding, including Mercy Corps.
One of Mercy Corps program is Healthy Start. This program fights for the breastfeeding promotion for the babies. Many mothers didn’t know that the best nutrition and the best milk actually didn’t come from the expensive milk from the store. They already have it and it’s very easy to get: The Mother’s Milk. It’s been a long time that many people think that the formula milk is the best milk for the baby, but the scientific study recently state that mother’s milk have the most comprehensive nutrition for the baby. The skin to skin contact process in the first hour between the baby and the mother can create the immune for the baby. Then, when the baby found their mother’s chest and drank from it, actually it’s the best nutrition ever for the baby, and that nutrition can improve their health growth in the future. Dr. Utami, one of the early breastfeeding initiator said that this process was the gift from The God, and sometimes we realize it or not always make this beautiful process disappear by separating the baby after the baby born and separate it with the incubator. “I believe when this process is made, there’s a harmony that will be created between the mother, the baby, and the father. This is the first foundation of one happy family” She said. So many unnecessary deaths from baby created because many people separate the baby from their mother in this process. Diarrhea, and many diseases has been made to the baby because many baby didn’t have the immune that they need from the early breastfeeding. Healthy Start program did so many activities to consult many government parties that related with the health of mother and the baby such as Health Ministry, and even Governor of DKI Jakarta. The activity also consults many Puskesmas (Health Center) in Jakarta region to introduce the early initiation of breastfeeding. It was not easy at the first time to introduce this concept to many government and other related parties, but after the two years campaign, finally the hard work of Healthy Start program give one of the best result of early breastfeeding promotion success.
In 2 years of Healthy Start hard work, the breastfeeding promotion issue finally heard by The Government of DKI Jakarta and then the government decide to make one event to create a new momentum for early initiation for breastfeeding. Many enthusiast responses come in this event. Even The Governor of DKI Jakarta, Mr Fauzi Bowo and his wife Mrs Tatiek Fauzi Bowo declare and make promise that they will response for this early initiation of breastfeeding. Also come to this event The Minister of Woman Resources, Mrs Meutia Hatta, and well known artist of Indonesia such as Dewi Motik, Moza Pramita, Tiara Lestari, and Sofie Navita that become the ambassador of breastfeeding. In this event, 1001 mothers and midwives from every region of Jakarta declare that they will start the first initiative of early breastfeeding activity for their baby. Among them, Yanti also take the participation to declare the early breastfeeding for her baby. This is such a great moment for breastfeeding futures because now, many people realize that the best milk for human is their mother’s milk and not the formula milk. This action will not also saves many baby’s live, but also improve the quality of the nation, start from the simple action of early initiation of breast feeding.
Breastfeeding saves lives, breastfeeding saves the generation, and breastfeeding also will save the nation. Now Yanti learned about it, and she was so happy that she had the opportunity to participate in one of the human history to declare the early initiation of breastfeeding. The Declaration event was over at that day. Yanti then prepared to go to her home. But the spirit, and the declaration of 1001 mother to do the early breastfeeding will not ends as long as many people and also mother like Yanti love their baby and care about their future generation. “Yes, now i will do the early initiation of breastfeeding for my baby.” Yanti said.
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