"I express and freeze my milk for donation as there is no better feeling than knowing we are helping other moms and babies."
Andrea (breastmilk donor) - Cape Town
"Being a Milk Donor was something that had never crossed my mind pre motherhood.
I learned that my excess milk could save premature babies lives. Babies not as fortunate as mine could have an abundant supply of breast milk.
I just thought: what a blessing, what an opportunity. I could help save a life."
Terri (breastmilk donor) Green Point
"It was a very rewarding experience knowing that I could make such a difference."
Tracy (breastmilk donor) - Devil's Peak
"It has felt good to donate milk and be able to give something to babies who are not so lucky and are not blessed with a mother who can breastfeed them."
Debbie S. (breastmilk donor) - Plumstead
About Us
- History
- The Team
Milk Matters History
Milk Matters is very much a community enterprise, run by four lactation consultants and one part-time co-ordinator. Our slogan, "Mothers Expressing for Others", alludes to the fact that without community involvement in various forms, including the generous donor mothers, there could be no milk bank.
Milk Matters is a non-profit organisation, which was started, on a volunteer basis, in Cape Town in 2003 by a group of lactation consultants and two mothers. They were inspired by Durban's Ithemba Lethu Breastmilk Bank which was set up to provide breastmilk to infants who had been abandoned or orphaned as a result of their mothers suffering from HIV or AIDS. These children are usually nutritionally vulnerable and breastmilk makes an astounding difference to their health. The Cape Town lactation consultants identified a similar need in Cape Town, particularly with the increased prevalence of HIV.
Initially Milk Matters, formerly known as Western Cape Human Milk Bank, worked with orphans in an orphanage but there were too few small babies who needed the donor milk and the focus soon changed to feeding premature babies in hospitals. Groote Schuur's Neonatal Intensive Care Unit was eager to use donor breastmilk for premature babies whose own mothers were unable to provide breastmilk. As these tiny babies need only small volumes of breastmilk, Milk Matters was able to feed a number of babies while building up a donor base. The benefits were significant and soon Tygerberg Hospital wanted to join the programme.
By October 2005 Milk Matters had expanded sufficiently for it to be necessary to recruit a part-time co-ordinator to assist in the running of the milk bank.
With the help and guidance of Milk Matters, the first two in-house milk banks were established towards the end of 2005 at Tygerberg Hospital and Panorama Medi-Clinic. A third in-house milk bank opened at Mowbray Maternity Hospital in 2007 with a fourth hospital starting to set up their milk bank at the same time. These in-house milk banks are affiliated to Milk Matters but have their own pasteurisers, source and screen donors from within their geographical area and then use the donor milk to benefit infants in their own hospital. By mid-2007 a further 5 hospitals had, under Milk Matters' guidance, sourced, tested and pasteurised donor milk for use within their hospitals as the need arose. This was done at minimal cost to the hospital.
In 2007 Milk Matters was registered with the Department of Social Development as a Non-profit Organisation (053-121-NPO) and with the South African Revenue Services as a Public Benefit Organisation (PBO 930 024 054).
