1. About Green Valley Trust 

Trust (GVT) has a great outreach capacity , targeting urban formal sector working women - 3700 school teachers in nearly 100 private schools and 2000 women workers in five garment factories.  

2. Aims & Objectives  

The two key activities stress: 1. training teachers and industrial workers, in conjunction with health workers and consumer advocates, on human lactation management. 2. lobbying school and industry management personnel to ensure the implementation of laws for adequate provision of child care facilities. 

3. The Training of teachers to promote breastfeeding  
in the city  

The Green Valley Trust's project coordinator initiated a dialogue on the idea of baby-friendly teachers at one of the meetings of a private School Teachers Association. They formed a Steering Committee of four teachers and organised special meetings region-wise in Madras city. The Steering Committee's scope was enlarged to include six focus group members, and they discussed the training agenda. A training workshop was conducted for the 10 members of the Steering Committee and the Focus Group over two and half days with the help of PROWAC and PREPARE. The topics were planned specifically to address unmarried teachers and a separate set for married teachers. 

Educational and training materials on human lactation management and baby-friendly teachers were prepared by one of the teachers who is a trained artist. Charts and flash cards were also used. They organised 12 week-end workshops on Baby-friendly Teachers in their respective regions in the city. About 1,255 teachers participated in the week-end one-day programme. Pamphlets and flash-cards were supplied free of cost. The second round of workshops included the participation of men. About 23 male teachers and 1310 female teachers took part in the 14 workshops conducted in the four regions. The teachers received Certificates of Attendance and a prize coupons of Rs 100 each from the sponsor of the programme the Lions Club of Madras. 

4. Achievements  

These teachers who attended the workshops were able to reach and impart their knowledge on breastfeeding to more than 15000 mothers in their respective neighbour-hood. This was determined by means of a response sheet. 

5. Industrial Workers' Campaign  

As part of its on-going campaign to promote breast-feeeding, the Green Valley Trust (GYT) contacted 32 small-scale industries in Ambattur Industrial Estate in Madras, regarding the relevance of a creche for women workers. However they were not too keen on the idea because the factories were small, and not many women were employed. But one of the industries, K-Lite, suggested that the project coordinator attend a meeting of the Ambattur Industrial Manufacturer's Association (AIMA). As part of their strategic action plan, the GYT coordinator organised a small exhibition at this meeting using paper clippings, posters and slogans. The AIMA members were impressed and agreed to consider the feasibility of a common creche provided the members contributed and shared the capital and running costs. 

6. Achievements 

The Project Coordinator followed this up and met with the various members at the factory premises. They approved of the budget which was within their reach and the AIMA committed to Rs 42, 500 for the creche.