Thursday, October 25, 2007

IBFAN Africa awards Gambian community support work

There are over 50 groups in the African region of the International Baby Food Action Network (IBFAN). They monitor the baby food industry and conduct imaginative projects to protect and support breastfeeding.

Baby Milk Action tries to support the network with campaign support and training and has been successful in raising funds for some activities in the past, though most is raised by IBFAN coordinating centres. A few years ago we received a grant from the Hilden Charitable Trust for partners in Ghana to develop materials for use in mother-to-mother support groups. We also received a grant from the Nuffield Foundation to help support the IBFAN Africa coordinating office in Swaziland with a campaigns post.

It is the nature of IBFAN that groups and regions manage their own affairs. It is not a heirarchical system, other than reporting that has to done for specific grants and the control and monitoring of these.

This week the IBFAN Africa coordinating office is in the news after giving an award to community projects in Gambia, run by the National Nutrition Agency (Nana), where the IBFAN Gambia coordinator works. The award is in recognition of Nana's significant achievements in the area of Baby Friendly Community Initiative. The project is serving as a model for other countries.

You can find a report at:
http://allafrica.com/stories/200710221544.html

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