Author: Shaun Reid

“Being a breastfeeding advocate, I couldn’t bear the thought of my precious ‘white gold’ going to waste. A friend then told me about iThemba Lethu, a great organisation that collects breast milk for orphaned and abandoned children.
Knowing that my milk is going to such a good cause is deeply satisfying and well worth the minimal extra effort involved. iThemba Lethu makes the process much easier by delivering sterilised bottles and collecting them again when they are full. My husband has been a great help in making it possible for me to donate. He wakes up
in the night to take the milk to the freezer and has motivated me to keep breastfeeding and donating.
In a way, donating has encouraged me to continue breastfeeding my baby longer than I planned to, as it is more than just her that I am feeding. I look forward to one day explaining to my daughter that she has been generous from birth because she shared with children that weren’t as fortunate.”

Kim donated 47.9 litres over 7 months!

“I am one of the fortunate moms who have an ample supply of
breast milk! When my first baby was born, my greatest concern was that I would not have enough to feed her. I thankfully got over that fear and realized that I had a lot more than my baby could ever need. I then started expressing and freezing. The thought of it going to waste was bothering me! I started asking around and was referred to iThemba Lethu Breastmilk Bank. Their motto reminded me of my fear of not even having a drop for my baby! Expressing to donate comes with its own challenges, however, I must say that the satisfaction I get from knowing there is more than one baby going to bed with a full tummy every day or night, is so rewarding. Getting feedback on how the orphans are thriving on breast milk outweighs these challenges by far. Donor breast milk gives so much more to
a child than just a feed.

Second time donor mom Sonja donated 48.2 litres over 8 months!