In the Filipino context, the word “arugaan” means to “nurture fully.” Unfortunately, not all Filipino mothers can fully nurture their children. Often, underprivileged and marginalized women are not properly nourished themselves, or have inadequate information about breastfeeding and healthy eating habits. Sometimes, too, when the flow of the normal supply chain is disrupted due to natural disasters and calamities, mothers face difficulties sourcing adequate food for their children.
This was the scenario that Ines Fernandez encountered while she was engaged in an advocacy for consumer rights, particularly mothers. Known to many as Nanay Ines (“Mother Ines”), she has been a staunch promoter of breastfeeding and nutrition since the 1980s. Back when she was growing up in Magarao, Camarines Sur, Ines learned the different methods for planting and harvesting natural food from her father, a lesson that serves her well in her present advocacy. And from her mother, she imbibed the gift of inspiring and mentoring others.
Fernandez sustained this passion and engaged in activities that furthered her cause, becoming involved with the International Baby Food Action Network and joining the National Nutrition Council (NNC). Likewise, she and other individuals and organizations cut from the same cloth organized BUNSO (“Youngest”) in 1983, which focuses on mothers’ and children’s rights. From this effort was born the first mother support group that evolved into Arugaan.
“Arugaan is a mother support group from different social strata,” Fernandez explains. “Every mother we helped to breastfeed and re-learn indigenous foods that heal and nourish for the children and family, in many ways gave back the blessings from their own innate resources.”
The work of Arugaan is fairly simple, yet most effective through its multiplier effect. A core group of volunteer mothers are trained about proper breastfeeding practices, healthy indigenous food, and relactation counseling. They then share this knowledge with other mothers through nutritional and healthcare programs in rural and urban communities. The second generation of trained mothers does the same for other women, who pass along their learning to more and more women.
Ines’ motherly style of mentoring filters to the groups that have grown exponentially under her care. Some of these groups, like MommySense in Davao, Mom & Baby Club in Cebu, and CDO Mommy Brightside in Cagayan De Oro, have grown into their own and have developed their own mother-to-mother support groups.
Fernandez continues: “In return, the mothers whom we have trained in the community areas with life skills and enterprise as lactation massage specialists are now earning income with their healing hands and comforting counseling as breastfeeding counselors. They service home visits even on evenings for working moms in need.
“Arugaan is the only one that gives employment to moms who have infants; they can have jobs at the creche as child care givers or educators. Arugaan creche and relactation management and trainings are self-propelling income generating activities for Arugaan in order to pursue counseling moms on breastfeeding power and indigenous food security.”
While most of Arugaan’s work is currently focused on more marginalized communities, especially in rural areas that are most affected by frequent natural disasters, Fernandez seeks to cultivate this advocacy in more communities in the near future.
“We will transform Marikina City into a truly mother-baby friendly city with our Arugaan Creche Day Care,” she speaks of one ongoing effort that has been set for November 2015. “Also, we are starting now, one at a time, in every barangay. We will organize mother support groups that will help other neighboring cities, especially urban poor communities including all working moms gainfully employed or not (all moms work 24 hours endlessly at home or at workplace). We are working towards more empowered breastfeeding moms and babies, including young children.”
For more about Ines Fernandez and the work of Arugaan, visit http://philippines.ashoka.org/fellow/ines-fernandez
Makeup by Clara Pettersen and hair by Jayfren “JJ” Gallego of Creations by Lourd Ramos Salon
Special thanks to Cravings Restaurant and Wicked by Cravings of The Cravings Group for providing the food during the shoot
