A project on “Preserving mother’s milk, supporting working mothers” was inaugurated at Interfab Shirt Manufacturing Limited (ISML), an enterprise of Viyellatex Group at Kunia of Gazipur city on Thursday. International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (ICDDR’B) started this project in the factory to create opportunity for working women in RMG sector to feed breast milk to their children. For this purpose, ICDDR’B have installed breast pumps and a specialized pasteurization machine at the Interfab Shirt Manufacturing Limited (ISML) to allow women to pump their breast milk while at work. Managing director of Viyellatex group Ahsan Kabir Khan, Director Amina Salima Khan, chief operating officer Fateh Ul Islam, manager (Human resource) Aleya, associate scientist of International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (ICDDR’B) Dr. Sabrina Rasheed, senior manager S.K.Abdul Hamid were present in the inaugural session. After inaugurating the project, associate scientist of International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (ICDDR’B) Dr. Sabrina Rasheed told the journalists that there approximately 3.2 million women employed in the ready made garments industry in our country. These women are currently allowed for four months of maternity paid leave, but most of them re-join their working places two or three months after they give birth. They also work long hours and many factories do not have crèche facilities for young children to enable mothers to bring their children to work places. To considering this problem, a team of ICDDR’B led by associate scientist Dr.Sabrina Rasheed along with the students of university of Toronto with the support of grand challenge Canada to successfully create a prototype pasteurization machine that will increase the self life of breast milk for a context where refrigeration is unavailable. The team has already installed 9 breast pumps and a pasteurization machine at Interfab Shirt Manufacting Limited to allow women to pump their breast milk while at work. This initiative will allow women to take home the pasteurized pump milk which stays safe for eight hours , providing nutrition for their children while they are at work in the afternoon or later in the evening. The factory sources said, at least 35 women of the factory have been trained for the last two months about this project and they have taken the process with satisfaction. The training process is continuing and it will be given to the women working in the others factory in future. An operator of sewing section of the factory Doly said that she has a son of 14 months. She could not able to provide breast feed to her child’s need and time due to her duties. After started the project, her child now can drink mother’s milk regularly. It has reduced the load on the out side meals. Another worker of the factory Shopna Akter said, this project will very helpful to all mothers who work in RMG sector. They will be abled to provide breast milk to their children according to their need. However, the project is funded by Grand Challenges Canada with support from the office of the UN special envoy for financing the health MDGs and the Swiss family owned company Medela which provided the breast pump.
