Succor has come the way of some breastfeeding mothers in Rivers State after The Guardian Correspondent in the State , Ann Godwin reported about their pathetic conditions amidst COVID-19 pandemic.
The impositions of various restrictions by the State Government is said to have worsened the conditions of the vulnerable group as most of them only eat when their husband’s or them go out daily; hence the lockdown affected their sources of income and means of survival.
Some of them were reported to have stayed for days without foods, some took garri flakes while some drank only water which led to fainting.
It was indeed a momentous occasion at St. Andrews Primary School Diobu PortHarcourt, yesterday when food items ranging from rice, garri, indomie, plantain, groundnut oil, soap were given to the women to assuage their sufferings.
The Guardian’s Correspondent, some non governmental organizations including Society for Women and Youths Affairs, Youths and Environmental Advocacy Centre, sent in some of the food items after reading the report.
Speaking with newsmen, Godwin said, ” I feel elated today seeing that succor has come to these women because while I was transcribing and putting the reports together, I broke down emotionally and mentally listening to the voices of these women, the intellectual flow stopped, I couldn’t just flow due to the dept of pains,sufferings these women were going through”
“I couldn’t hold back my tears, I had to pause ,wiped the tears even the ones that dropped on my laptop,I realized that the responses to the fight against COVID-19 pandemic increased the challenges of the vulnerable group especially ,the breastfeeding mothers, as a mother, I am aware that breast milk provides vital nutrients that supports the baby’s physical and cognitive development”
“And when a mother breastfeeds without eating, it affects the mother’s health as well as the baby, so while writing their stories, I vowed that I will surely return to touch their lives and put smiles on their faces, so I am glad today , that, that prayer has been answered’
I , however use this opportunity to call on the governments, Federal State and Local government to identify more of the breastfeeding mothers and reach out to them, they are all over the streets, they need help, they need assistance and encouragement even as we pray for a quick end to this dreaded pandemic to enable citizens return to normal life. I also expressed thanks to the Wole Soyinka Centre For Investigative Journalism (WSCIJ) COVID-19 check projecr for facilitating the report.
One of the beneficiaries and a breastfeeding mother, Favour Madu narrated “Since the lockdown, life has been difficult for my family. My husband is doing business at Ikoku and myself in Rumuwoji market but this places are shutdown because of the COVID-19 pandemic”.
“Life has not been easy for us. It was during Mrs Ann Godwin’s interview with us she promised to relieve us of this pain. Today, she called us out to come and take free food items and that is why we are here”.
“Is not easy. Sometimes my children will be crying of hunger, even my four months old baby, sometimes there would be no milk for him to drink. I will cry but I know that God is alive and that He will see us through. There are times I breastfeed my baby without eating which is also affecting my health”.
“But for this today, may God bless all those who contributed to save a breastfeeding mother at the period and also bless the female journalist for us”.
Another breastfeeding mother who spoke with newsmen and gave her name as Gift Friday, said “I am a breastfeeding mother of a child of a year and two months old. My husband is a barber but because of the lockdown he could not do anything to assist us and we are hungry”.
“To have food for me and my son this period is very difficult. Like yesterday, I only cooked a cup of rice for all of us to eat. It was not enough but I need to feed my son”.
Mrs Gift Friday who admitted benefiting from the state government palliatives in her area in Rumuokoro, Obio/Akpor, said the items were not enough for them as it did not last for three days. She thanked the female journalist for intervening and provision of the food items, saying that it will last for some period of time for her family.
On her part, Chioma Bright, stressed that “As a nursing mother, the lockdown is affecting mostly me. This is because when I eat food, I will breastfeed my baby but when I did not eat I cannot breastfeed, even when I try to, there will be no breast milk. I also have other two children to take care of”.
“This shutdown, I and my husband we are just in the house. Since the beginning of the lockdown we have not gone to the market where we earn our daily income for meal. The money we have, we have eaten all and no way to replace because our shops are still shutdown”.
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