Breastfeeding Friends Society organises its 23rd annual ceremony

SHARJAH, 1st November, 2023 (WAM) — The Breastfeeding Friends Society, a subsidiary of the Health Education Department at the Supreme Council for Family Affairs in Sharjah, organised its 23rd annual ceremony at the Council’s theatre to celebrate the achievements of the current year.The event, organised under the patronage of Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, Honourary President of the Breastfeeding Friends Society, was attended by Eman Rashid Saif, Director of the Health Education Department; Khawla Abdulaziz Al Nouman, President of the Breastfeeding Friends Society, as well as the directors and members of the society’s board, representatives of sponsoring and supporting entities, all employees, volunteers, and graduates of the 17th batch of the Breastfeeding Counselor’s Program.In her speech at the ceremony, Khawla Abdulaziz Al Noman, President of the Breastfeeding Friends Society, said, “The society organises this 23rd annual gathering to celebrate the achievements made throughout the year, as well as the efforts made to raise awareness about breastfeeding and provide support to mothers during the breastfeeding stage, contributing to the improvement of individuals’ health. The society will strive to give more and work diligently towards achieving its goals, focusing on supporting both the mother and the child to create a healthy and sustainable society through initiatives aimed at promoting breastfeeding practices among mothers and increasing their rates.”Al Noman further added in her speech that the primary role of the society lies in establishing support networks among mothers to contribute to spreading awareness about the importance of breastfeeding. This includes providing educational and awareness-raising lectures, as well as the significant efforts made by the society through a range of services and events in which around 70 volunteers participated this year, contributing a total of 4597 volunteer hours. Additionally, the society provided consultation services for mothers. Additionally, they provided a service for renting and selling breastfeeding devices and supplies to mothers, along with offering financial support to financially challenged cases of sick children, amounting to AED 69,039.The number of participants in the events of World Breastfeeding Week, the Breastfeeding Supporters Forum, and National Breastfeeding Week exceeded 900 participants from within and outside the country. Moreover, they celebrated mothers during the Khadeeja Child and Breastfeeding Mother ceremony.