Outreach

East Timor ~ In September 2011, Sue and 2 other health professionals,
Anne Scollon IBCLC and Maree Twomey BS nutrition, traveled to East Timor where they spent a month as volunteers at HIAM Health in Dili teaching the health workers and community leaders breastfeeding, nutrition, fertility and empowerment for women. All presentations were interpreted into Tetum.

HIAM Health is an Educational Centre meaning ”Together We Help Each Other” and focuses on teaching preventative strategies to combat malnutrition. They provide a place for mothers and babies to come for 21 days or more, after being in Dili Hospital, to learn about health and nutrition. In Timor Leste the Population is 1 Million. The Infant mortality rate is as high as 111 per 1000 births in some districts. Over 50% of children under 5 years are malnourished and hungry. ( MoH 2008)

When you look at the HIAM website, you will see that the problems are immense with lactating women and babies, the myths surrounding pregnancy and breastfeeding are deeply engrained in their culture, causing numerous problems. Sue hopes that eventually other IBCLC’s will follow them to work at HIAM. "For it is only when we pull together that we can make a difference in people’s lives and hopefully make small but important changes in the existing culture.” - Sue

Uganda ~ In 2007, continuing in her passion to care for babies around the world, Sue volunteered with Watoto. Watoto is a "holistic care programme that was initiated as a response to the overwhelming number of orphaned children and vulnerable women in Uganda, whose lives have been ravaged by war and disease."

Stationed in Kampala at "Bullrushes", an orphanage in which newborn babies that are found in various places “such as hospitals, local authorities, child protection units, good Samaritans or other homes and care organizations”, are loved and cared for. Given the medical and emotional attention badly needed, these babies gain a second chance. They stay at the orphanage, growing strong, until they are 2yrs old and then they are transitioned into the Watoto Children’s Village or back to their families.

Ethiopia ~ After her time in Uganda, Sue moved on to volunteer at the Fistula Hospital in Barhardar Ethiopia with Dr. Andrew Browning from Australia. At the hospital Sue supported breastfeeding Mothers and was also privilege to be in the operating room to watch the many skilled hands at work. www.hamlinfistula.org.au

Learn more about HIAM Health and see how you can help

Learn more about Watoto and see how you can help