A Guest Post from Indonesia

February 19, 2013 By DorkyMum in Activism, Guest Posts Tags: #firsthour, Activism, AIMI, breastfeeding, breastfeeding support, campaigning, formula milk marketing practices, Indonesia, international development, Save the Children, The Power of the First Hour 8 Comments

Yesterday I wrote a post about Save the Children’s new campaign on breastfeeding.

Today I’m absolutely thrilled to have a guest post on the blog from Tasya, an inspiring woman who works as the head of advocacy and legal division for an organisation in Indonesia called AIMI.

AIMI (the Indonesian Breastfeeding Mothers Assocation) is a group of mothers providing advice and support on breastfeeding through Facebook, Twitter and Blackberry Messenger. They provide a 24 hour hotline to support and educate women about the option of breastfeeding, and also use social media to gather evidence of marketing malpractices of breast milk substitutes, for example crowdsourcing photos of posters which break the breastfeeding marketing code of conduct.

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The Power of the First Hour

February 18, 2013 By DorkyMum in Activism Tags: #firsthour, Activism, Breastfeeding campaign, breastfeeding in the developing world, breastmilk substitute companies, campaigning, Danone, formula milk companies, formula milk marketing practices, health, international development, Nestle, No Child Born to Die, Save the Children, Superfood for Babies, The Power of the First Hour 17 Comments

When I started this blog, nearly two years ago, one of my very first posts was titled ‘Breast is Best, but there’s no need to keep shouting about it.’

I stand corrected.

Sometimes, it’s absolutely crucial to shout about it.

Not when you’re talking about the UK – where mothers can make an informed choice, and where babies are likely to grow up healthy and safe whatever choice they make – but in developing countries, where the choice can literally mean the difference between life and death.

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Supporting TwoMums on their OneMums Journey

October 9, 2012 By DorkyMum in Activism Tags: Activism, campaigning, Ethiopia, international development, Jen Howze, Jenography, Michelle Pannell, Mummy from the Heart, One Campaign, OneMoms, OneMums 8 Comments

A few days ago I did a post over on the Blog4Charity site about my blogging friends Michelle and Jen who are currently in Ethiopia with the One Campaign.

Jen (who is a co-founder of BritMums) and Michelle (who blogs as Mummy from the Heart) have both been hugely supportive and encouraging in my short time as a blogger, and I’m really pleased that I can help tell their stories to a wider audience.
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A Message from Mozambique

July 11, 2012 By DorkyMum in Activism, Guest Posts Tags: Activism, Africa, campaigning, fundraising, international development, Liberia, Mozambique, philanthropy, Save the Children, Travel 8 Comments

Dear Dorky Mum,

First, thank you for your patience. Me traveling two out of three weeks is not easy on us. The Dorkys like proximity.

I have been to Africa to do my job. Liberia, first, then Mozambique. In both places we drove away from the cities and well into the bush, looking for the outreach and effectiveness of the work Save the Children does.
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Take Action to Give Girls Power

July 10, 2012 By DorkyMum in Activism Tags: Activism, campaigning, David Cameron, family planning, Family Planning summit London July 2012, Give Girls Power, international development, Save the Children 10 Comments

Last night was one of those occasions when being a blogger feels like a real honour and a privilege. Along with around 25 other women – bloggers, vloggers and journalists – Save the Children invited me to a dinner in London. Hosted by the Guardian’s Zoe Williams, who has recently travelled to Nepal with Save the Children to learn about family planning there, the event gave us the opportunity to hear from a 17-year-old Ethiopian girl called Aselefe (centre in the photo), along with her interpreter Bethel (left in the picture).

Aselefe’s best friend has gone missing. Her boyfriend left her and she was thrown out by her family after becoming pregnant. Right now, Aselefe doesn’t know where her friend is.
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Stories from our family home in Tasmania

Tag Archives: international development