Cultural beliefs & family support
| Document type: | Case study |
| Year: | 1991 |
| Location: | Pakistan |
| Topic: | Refugees |
| Author: | GIFA / ENN report |
| Date published: | January 2003 |
Case study from: INFANT AND YOUNG CHILD FEEDING IN EMERGENCIES GIFA/ENN PROJECT (2003)
Researchers: Mary Corbett (Evaluation of Module 1) and Marie McGrath (Collation of case studies)
Case 18
Location: Pakistan / Afghanistan
Source: Barbara Krumme
Time: 1991
Issues: Influence of household needs and family support on infant feeding
During my work in Pakistan in refugee camps together with an Afghan NGO, we found it quite difficult to persuade mothers to continue breastfeeding, even during the first 6 months. Many of them wrongly believed not to have enough milk. We managed because, besides our empathy and advice, we also provided food for pregnant and breast-feeding mothers and thus facilitated their daily search for food to a certain extent (general rations were not provided for political reasons by that time).
There was much less family support inside these refugee camps in Pakistan as the Afghan families structures were often disrupted. Young women, especially, found it difficult to manage without the support of older, more experienced women. Therefore we were happy to work with health workers from the refugee community trained on the job and eager to help their peers.
This resource appears in: Field Exchange & ENN reports, presentations
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