Mrs. Kamla Bhasin speaking.

other's milk is always best as is shown by every test It helps to fight off all infection and keeps illness at a distance Makes the baby strong and healthy be it poor or be it wealthy Builds a bond 'twixt child and mother saves the mother work and bother No need to buy, or boil, or strain it's fresh and free and always clean This rhyme, composed in Hindi by Kamla Bhasin, today's keynote speaker, captures the essence of her feelings about breastfeeding as a mother. 

As a keen activist in the people's movement, particularly women's issues, Ms. Kamla is committed to community-based communications techniques. Within her active 25-year involvement in the women's movement and various people's struggles, she has strived to keep breastfeeding in the forefront, using such creative forms of communication as local folk art to ensure that no one is marginalised and making sure that everyone is involved in programme development and decision-making. 

Ms. Kamla is the Coordinator of the FAO-NGO South Asia Programme in New Delhi, India, where she has been trying to promote participatory development and participatory training. She is engaged in bringing NGOs in South Asia together to facilitate cooperation and networking.