About Us

Breastfeeding International was initiated and launched following Timor-Leste’s April 2021 flood response, establishing the first “Nurturing Care Centers of Excellence (NCCE) in Emergencies and Beyond”. NCCE is a cost-effective and innovative package of care for rapid integration of Maternal Child Health and Infant Young Child Feeding recommended practices.

Following the successful pilot at an evacuation center, showing improved outcomes of maternal, child, infant health and nutrition, Ministry of Health Timor-Leste requested UNICEF support in replicating the program in all 20 evacuation centers. NCCE is now integrated as part of the directive of Alola Foundation’s National Mother Support Group in Timor-Leste.

Breastfeeding International (BI) is a 501(c)(3), social enterprise with charitable status, to serve the global community. Empowering women, children, families, communities, health workers, policy makers and decision makers to scale up protection, promotion and support of maternal-child health, nutrition, breastfeeding for survival and thriving; and fundamentally Health and Human Rights for all.

BI uses its expertise and global network to empower communities by supporting local capacity building, strengthening health systems and communities with low cost, high impact interventions and disseminates resources, skills sharing and advocacy worldwide.

Nomajoni Ntombela (South Africa)
Mwate Chintu (Zambia)
Romchalee Ning (Thailand)
Ines Avellana-Fernandez (Philippines)
Leah Margulies (United States)
Nils Bergman (Sweden)

Dr. Magdalena Whoolery is the founder of Breastfeeding International. She is a Maternal Child Health and Infant Young Child Feeding Consultant, with over 20 years of experience as a registered nurse with a PhD from Brunel, working in health and social sectors, including research, programme design and development, project management, community development and humanitarian emergency response. Magdalena has worked for the World Health Organization in Timor-Leste and UNICEF in Indonesia. She provides support at government level, health sector, community and in emergencies to scale up protection, promotion and support of maternal-child health, nutrition and breastfeeding. Her multilingual information, education and communication resources have been disseminated by Save the Children, La Leche League International, IBFAN, Breastfeeding Advocacy Australia and Safely Fed Canada.