Mumbai, November 21, 2019: Child Help Foundation, a national NGO in childcare, in association with Western Railways (Mumbai Division), inaugurated the Western Railway’s first Baby Feeding Centre at Palghar Railway Station, Maharashtra. The Centre was inaugurated by Sandesh Chiplunkar, Commercial Inspector, Western Railway (Mumbai), along with Jiji John, Executive Director, Child Help Foundation. Through this initiative, the Foundation aims at providing the best possible facility for nursing mothers who need not worry about breastfeeding their babies while travelling.
Located on Platform Number One, the feeding centre is well secured and offers privacy to nursing mother who otherwise faces inconvenience in feeding their babies while travelling. Commercial activities, connecting train-passenger traffic, and industrial area chaos around Palghar Station, prompted the Foundation to set up this Centre at the station. For toddlers, having breast milk for the initial six months is mandatory because of the nutrition quotient present in the milk. This helps the toddler build a healthy immune system and live a healthier life ahead. The bond between the mother and child also grows stronger and empowers both to lead a healthy life. This initiative is in alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal No.3 – ‘Good Health and Wellbeing’.
Commenting on the initiative, Jiji John, Executive Director, Child Help Foundation, said, “Child Help Foundation identified the facility needed for nursing mothers while travelling, and hence, building a baby feeding centre was a step towards giving privacy and that homely comfort to both. These are the moments which make the bond between the mother and child stronger. We thank the Railway authorities for all the support extended towards this initiative.”
Further, Sandesh Chiplunkar, Commercial Inspector, Western Railways (Mumbai), added, “The Baby Feeding Centre is one of the best initiatives of the Child Help Foundation. It will create a healthy generation. For the very first time, Western Railways and Child Help Foundation have come together for such an initiative. This feeding centre is of great help to nursing mothers, and we wish to see this establishment in every station.”
Going forward, 14 Western Railway Stations will have a similar facility for nursing mothers.