Association of Medical Doctors of ASIA, founded in 1984, Consultative Status with UN ECOSOC since 1995

On 13 February 2018, 17 pregnant women attended a perinatal workshop at the AMDA Peace Clinic (APC) in Bodhgaya, India. The workshop is held once a week for mothers-to-be and mothers who are registered at the clinic. After every workshop, nutritional meals are prepared using affordable, locally-sourced ingredients for their dietary education. While allowing them to enjoy the food, they can learn the recipes to try them at home.

The theme for the workshop this time was breastfeeding. A medical staff at APC explained the importance of it and why it is good for babies, as well as how to breastfeed a child and what troubles might be expected. The staff used various teaching materials to break down the contents to which the women were keenly paying attention. The teaching aids were first prepared by a gynecologist from Leyte Medical Society in the Philippines, and were later modified to be used in India
 

When the workshop was over, the participants were treated to a local dish called “pokoli” (deep-fried vegetables). One woman said the recipes she has learned in the workshops so far have helped her a lot. “In the previous workshop, I discovered how tasty and nutritious Moringa (a local vegetable) was. Since then, I’ve been cooking Moringa soup using ones I grew in my garden.”

Tomoko Iwamoto, AMDA Headquarters