Bhubaneswar: World Breast Feeding Week Campaign is celebrated from 1st to 7th August every year. Since 1992 the week is promoted to increase awareness & educate people on benefits of breast feeding. Aditya Aluminium has been celebrating the event every year. This year the theme is Step up : Support and Educate. The theme reveals the importance of holistic support system and awareness on the issue. With change in lifestyle, eating habits and mental stress many new mothers are not able to feed their children with breast milk. First Breast milk is panacea for the child and helps build immunity and strength for sound physical and mental development.
Aditya Aluminium, Lapanga has been actively working on nutrition under Project Suposhan. This year Aditya CSR team observed breast-feeding week in 6 panchayats of Rengali Block. On each day of the week between 1st Aug to 7th Aug an event was organized in 6 different Anganwadi centers (Ludhapali AWC, Katarbaga AWC, Lahamani AWC, Dhorropani AWC, Gumkarma AWC, Lapanga AWC). Total 244 pregnant mothers, lactating mothers along with their family members were participated in the awareness session which was followed by quiz competition to ensure involvement and awareness level. The event aimed at sensitizing women on benefits of breast feeding for both mother and the child. Resource person and guest spoke about importance of family support including in-laws and husband support required for breast feeding. The session had rich discussion on elimination of myths and taboos from the society & promote breast feeding as a matter of culture and pride. The first breast milk rich in cholesterol is considered rich source for boosting child’s immunity & saves mortality of infants from diseases like diarrhoea.
The main event was organized at Gumkarma Anganwadi centre. A quiz competition was also conducted in the program & winners were awarded with Horlicks & Multivitamin. Chief Guest of the program emphasised that mothers should be continually empowered and an environment should be provided for comfortable breastfeeding, which would help to achieve the targets of the health indicators.
The event was graced with the presence of dignitaries Ms. Sweta Upadhyay (Assistant General Manager CSR & RR), Dr. Jaspreet (MBBS Aditya Health care Centre), Mr. Jadumani Ganik (PHEO, Laida CHC) Mr. Manoranjan Behera (Assistant Manager CSR & RR). Aditya Aluminium employees Ms. Kashish Viswakarma, Mrs. Sneha Nayak, Ms Swetalina Khatua, Ms. Jyoti Oram, Ms Pradnya Thakur participate in various events throughout the week to encourage women and promote breast feeding.
We are thankful to ICDS, CHC Laida who were our program partners and express gratitude towards tremendous work being done by ASHA ANM Anganwadi worker to sensitise women on various issues like institutional delivery, Breastfeeding, immunization etc. Government volunteers for the program were AWW & ASHA of all 6 AWCs and actively participated in the event. CSR team and Health Program Manager Mr. Paresh Jena was instrumental in conducting events successfully.
