Overcoming Barriers: Improving Two Young Lives in Lebanon
It’s hard to imagine a more difficult beginning for 17-year-old Samia (not her real name) and her newborn son.
Samia gave birth while serving time at a juvenile detention facility near Beirut, Lebanon. She was frightened, unprepared, and isolated from her family. Concerned for mother and baby, the facility’s staff asked the Lebanese Ministry of Public Health for help.
The Ministry referred the case to IOCC, which runs a mother-and-child health and nutrition program in Lebanon. Meanwhile, Samia’s son was transferred to Beirut Government University Hospital for urgent medical care.
The IOCC team was particularly concerned about establishing the mother-baby bond through breastfeeding. Due to security concerns, however, the team could never be sure what times Samia would see her son at the hospital—so they couldn’t schedule personal visits.
IOCC came up with a solution. The team gave a manual breast pump to the hospital staff, so Samia could continue feeding her baby, even when they were separated. Facility staff also arranged for IOCC’s child-feeding and early childhood development counselor to meet with Samia. She coached her on breastfeeding techniques, gave advice on maternal nutrition, and showed Samia what to look for as her son grew.
“I was scared and didn’t know if I was doing anything right. I only remembered what I saw my cousin do with her baby, and I tried to copy that. But it’s not the same when you’re alone,“ said Samia.
Samia’s son is improving, and her confidence has grown as well. “When they gave me the pump, it felt like I could still be there for my baby, even if I couldn’t hold him,” she said.
The mother-child program has helped nearly 12,000 people, including Lebanese citizens and Syrian refugees living in Lebanon. It’s one of a number of efforts IOCC has supported in Lebanon since 2001, including free health consultations, clean water networks, and psychosocial assistance.
