Stitching Health: Gombe Tailors Share Stories on Promoting Exclusive Breastfeeding
By Rebecca Caleb Maina
Fathers play a crucial role in family matters, and their support for exclusive breastfeeding is invaluable. A father’s involvement can significantly impact the success of this practice, while a lack of support may pose challenges for the mother and the child. Fathers in various professions, from tailoring to skilled trades, can also inspire their colleagues to embrace exclusive breastfeeding, thereby promoting better health for their families and communities.
Three tailors, Mela Hamza, Dan Bappah Tela, and Malam Adam Auwalu, who exemplify the transformative power of paternal support in exclusive breastfeeding, were interviewed by our reporter.
Their experiences not only benefit their own families but also serve as inspiring models for their communities.
Mela Hamza, a skilled tailor in his early forties, lives in Liji and runs his couture business in the Federal Low-Cost area of Gombe State. Apart from his talent in crafting stylish attire for both men and women, Mela is a dedicated husband and father of four. His passion for his family’s well-being extends beyond the sewing machine to ensuring they receive the best possible care.
Mela, during the interview, shared his journey with exclusive breastfeeding. “When my wife was pregnant with our first child, I encouraged her to attend antenatal classes, where health workers emphasised the importance of exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months,” Mela recalled.
“After our son Mujahid was born, we decided to follow this advice, and he grew up healthy during his early years without any major health challenges. Seeing the positive results, we did not hesitate to exclusively breastfeed our other three children.”
Mela believes that the good health of his children, even in times of economic hardship when many struggle to afford three square meals a day, can be attributed to the strong foundation built through exclusive breastfeeding. “My children are healthy and strong because of the good health background they received. Even in this period of hunger, they endure and do not fall sick,” he added.
At Gombe’s main market, another tailor, Dan Bappah Tela, goes with Mela’s views. He has five children, four of whom were exclusively breastfed. “Unfortunately, my first child did not benefit from the practice because I was unaware of its importance at the time. However, after learning about it, I made sure the rest of my children were exclusively breastfed, and they are all healthy.”
Danbappah emphasised the importance of a well-nourished mother in the success of exclusive breastfeeding. “For my wife, I ensure she eats well so that she remains strong and capable of exclusively breastfeeding our children,” he said.
Malam Adam Auwalu, a tailor at a plaza near Gombe Market, has seven children. Five of them were exclusively breastfed, but the other two were not, due to a lack of awareness earlier on. He shared a story about his daughter, one of the two who missed out on exclusive breastfeeding, who suffered from malnutrition at birth. She had to be placed on ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF) to survive.
“I know the consequences of malnutrition because I saw my daughter suffer it,” Malam Auwalu stated. “My children who were exclusively breastfed are now doing well in school—they are active and strong. Some of them, as young as six years old, accompany me to the shop during their holidays to learn the art of tailoring. They have very high IQs.”
Malam Auwalu has become an advocate of exclusive breastfeeding, educating his fellow tailors and other male friends on the benefits. “I enlighten others to support their wives in exclusively breastfeeding their children,” he said.
Despite the evident benefits, the tailors acknowledged the challenges that come with exclusive breastfeeding.
They said that while it is more economical and healthier for the child, the breastfeeding mother requires a proper and sufficient balanced diet to sustain her strength. Without adequate nutrition, the mother risks falling ill or becoming malnourished herself.
In a recent presentation at a media engagement, the UNICEF Bauchi Field Office Nutrition Specialist, Mrs. Philomena Irene, highlighted the critical importance of exclusive breastfeeding for ensuring the healthiest start in life for children.
Mrs. Irene emphasised that breast milk provides all the necessary fluids and nutrients for optimal growth and development during the first six months of life.
“Breast milk acts as a baby’s first vaccine, offering essential protection and positively influencing health outcomes,” Mrs. Irene stated. She also noted that breastfeeding stimulates brain development, which can significantly impact educational outcomes.
The benefits of breastfeeding extend beyond the child, according to Mrs. Irene. “Breastfeeding protects a mother’s health, leads to lower healthcare costs, and contributes to healthier families. It also fosters a smarter workforce and better economic productivity,” she added.
Exclusive breastfeeding has been shown to save more children’s lives than any other preventive intervention. “Breastfed children have at least a sixfold greater chance of survival in the early months compared to those who are not breastfed. An exclusively breastfed child is 14 times less likely to die in the first six months than a non-breastfed child,” Mrs. Irene explained.
She also pointed out that an estimated 13% of child deaths could be prevented if 90% of mothers exclusively breastfed their infants for the first six months of life. “When mothers breastfeed, everyone benefits,” Mrs. Irene concluded, urging continued support and advocacy for exclusive breastfeeding practices.
