Breast milk is considered the best milk for children. It is uniquely suited to the human infant’s nutritional needs as it immune children against a host of illnesses and diseases .
Recently, the Kenyan Law making body has approved a bill which would urge corporate
organisations to set aside special breastfeeding areas for employees with
children.
The
breastfeeding stations would include breast pumps for expressing milk and
fridges.
The
bill also states that employers must give time for women to breastfeed.
Rachel Nyamai, the MP who
proposed the bill, said it will help women work and at the same time improve
children's health.
According to information from
Safaricom the average age of its employees at its call centre is 27 years and
the ratio of men to women is equal. The care centre has a mother’s room, fully
equipped in a hygienic and private environment for breastfeeding. The doctors
are also at the centre to take care of the health of the little ones. “We have
doctor on site should the children fall sick,” states Safaricom.
The centre comes with additional goodies. This include “gymnasium to keep the working mothers fit and healthy, games room in helping to relieve stress , assist to unwind and socialize” and Cafeterias with healthy food choices to accentuate faster recovery and good health.
The centre comes with additional goodies. This include “gymnasium to keep the working mothers fit and healthy, games room in helping to relieve stress , assist to unwind and socialize” and Cafeterias with healthy food choices to accentuate faster recovery and good health.
The law is not about dealing with a stigma around
breastfeeding because breastfeeding in public areas is considered normal, says
the BBC's Angela Ngendo in Nairobi.
“While mothers have a choice to join
with their children over the meal breaks children can also join the working
mother for lunch or any meal,” it states. In addition the carecentre has
libraries to research on all materials including working mothers’ roles.
The kenyan workforce is changing. The
number of women in paid work continues to increase, many employees have family
responsibilities and women are increasingly returning to work following the
birth of a baby. By putting in place practical steps to help women to continue
to breastfeed their babies or express breast milk when they return to work, the
company is also benefiting.
The success of the company is directly proportional to the satisfaction of its employeees. According to NewZealands guide to the employers on the care of employees, having a good breastfeeding centre at work place has several adavantages to the business as well as to the employee.
The success of the company is directly proportional to the satisfaction of its employeees. According to NewZealands guide to the employers on the care of employees, having a good breastfeeding centre at work place has several adavantages to the business as well as to the employee.
The studies show that companies that
care for the well being of its employees tend to succeed. The report from
Hewitt Associates found employee engagement with their employers at its lowest
level in the 15 years the human resources consulting and outsourcing firm has
studied the issue. The study tracked 900 organizations globally before
making its conclusion.
Companies with high levels of
engagement, with an estimated engagement of more than 65%, outperformed the
total stock market index and posted shareholder returns 19 percent higher than
average in 2009. At the same time companies with disinterested employees
with engagement of 40 percent or less engagement had a total shareholder return
that was 44 percent lower than average.
Some mothers tend to resign from work after they give birth to take care for the baby. But if the business has such arrangement, business will retain its staff. This will save the company the cost of recruiting and training a new employee. “Your business can save money by retaining valuable employees who might otherwise decide to leave. This can save on recruitment and training costs,” states the guide.
There will be less abseeintism too which boosts productivity Babies who are breastfed get sick less often and working mothers take fewer days off to care for them. The guide quotes an American study of two corporations showed 50 percent fewer sick days for parents of breastfed babies than for bottle-fed babies. Retaining trained staff and good staff morale also boosts productivity.
Moreover, it builds the company
image. Supporting working mothers and family-friendly measures can enhance
company’s image. The mothers are likely to be more productive, happier, and
less likely to resign, and help improve the company image in the community.
Providing family-friendly measures can also directly increase the pool of
potential staff that your business might not otherwise attract. This is
particularly important in a tight labour market.
To set up a breastfeeding centre, a company requires a private, clean, quiet, warm room or space – such as a screened off area, which needs to be big enough to manoeuvre.
To set up a breastfeeding centre, a company requires a private, clean, quiet, warm room or space – such as a screened off area, which needs to be big enough to manoeuvre.
A low comfortable chair is essential. To ensure privacy, windows or glass walls may need to be screened. If an employee is expressing breast milk, in addition to the things listed above a centre may have to be equiped with a lockable door, a washbasin, and a fridge (or chilly bin with ice packs) for storing expressed breast milk.
Alternatively a communal fridge is acceptable, because breast milk is considered food, not a body fluid, so can be readily stored in a labelled container in the fridge. If a fridge or chilly bin is not available, breast milk can safely be stored at room temperature for up to two hours. In addition a table is needed.
While large business can provide such a service because of its financial capacity, small business may not afford to give some of these luxury, but employee moralle and high productivity is usually emphasised more the more smaller the company. Small businesses can face additional challenges when considering initiatives to support breastfeeding, particularly those that have confined spaces.
Bob Koigi a reporter on KENYAKIDZ equally noted where there is several businesses located in the same vicinity but none can afford such a facility on its own, it can pool resources. A number of different businesses in a mall, or in the vicinity of a mall, or in a single building, could pool resources to lease and equip a family room for staff.
It is our hope that other African
Countries like Nigeria and South Africa can borrow a lift from Kenya. It an
uncontestable fact if this kind of law is passed and implemented in Nigeria and
other nations, it will in small measure empower women and their families. It
will encourage productivity in companies as it will allow women to concentrate
knowing fully well that their babies are within the office building. Jobs could
also be created for nannies. Innovative companies can also design a crèche system
that will mothers can pay little stipends this service.
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