KWS becomes first state agency to set up lactation centre
KWS Director-General John Waweru unveils the KWS Lactation centre at the KWS headquarters on May,8, 2022
Breastfeeding rangers, staff and visitors now have a place at the Kenya Wildlife Service headquarters where they can take care of their children and freshen up.
The conservation agency unveiled its first Wellness and Lactation Centre, equipped with bathrooms, diapers, breast pumps and chairs.
The centre will also be used for expressing or storing milk and changing babies’ clothes.
KWS Director-General John Waweru said the facility, the first of its kind in a Kenyan government institution, will ease the burden on rangers while they are on duty.
He said mothers should not be discriminated against or hide when expressing milk or breastfeeding their babies, adding that some have had to express milk in the bush.
Mr Waweru said the new facility will ensure comfort and dignity for working mothers.
"We understand the challenges, especially for mothers who have had children and they are breastfeeding but are not with their children at work. We know the frustrations that come with it, but the facility will help a lot," said Mr Waweru.
He said the centre will have a resident nurse and counsellor, and will offer guidance and counselling services to mothers in a bid to curb postpartum depression and promote mental wellness.
It will also improve the well-being of women, he said, because they toil round the clock at home and at work and as pillars of the family, they need to be appreciated.
He noted that it is a pilot programme and plans are underway to roll out and equip other facilities at all KWS stations.
