KEWOTA Pushes for Teachers’ Breastfeeding Rooms in Schools. Nancy Rotich, the coordinator of the Kenya Women Teachers Association (KEWOTA) in Kericho County, has emphasized the importance of schools providing designated areas for female teachers to nurse their newborns.
This initiative aims to enable female teachers to fulfill their maternal responsibilities with dignity. Rotich highlighted that KEWOTA is advocating for this idea nationwide, envisioning rooms where mothers can briefly breastfeed their infants before returning them home once satisfied, with assistance from caregivers.
Addressing attendees at the opening of the KEWOTA branch in Kericho, Rotich clarified that it is the responsibility of school administrators to allocate these rooms, which would then be equipped by the association with necessary items for nursing purposes.
She emphasized that the breastfeeding centers aim to alleviate the challenges faced by female teachers when breastfeeding, with plans to tastefully decorate and equip the centers to ensure comfort for both the child and the mother.
In addition to promoting maternal support, KEWOTA officials also provided financial literacy training during the event, aiming to protect teachers from financial pitfalls. They introduced a table banking initiative to alleviate the burden of high-interest loans from banks and Saccos, enabling teachers to augment their income through small group contributions within schools.
Furthermore, KEWOTA encouraged teachers to enroll in digitization courses essential for managing Curriculum-Based Content (CBC) textbooks, highlighting the global recognition of credentials obtained after completing these innovation classes.
Despite its focus on empowerment, KEWOTA clarified that it does not compete with other trade unions like KUPPET and KNUT but rather aims to complement their efforts. Moses Okea, an education officer representing the County Director of Education (CDE), stressed the importance of collaboration among educators to address various challenges collectively. KEWOTA Pushes for Teachers’ Breastfeeding Rooms in Schools
