Maternal Health
In Timor-Leste, sadly one in ten babies dies before reaching their first birthday. In partnership with the Alola Foundation, National Breastfeeding Association and Ministry of Health, Life, Love and Health produced a Breastfeeding Promotion film in 2005. This film, called ‘Mothers Milk - Bringing up a New Generation in Good Health’, was made in the indigenous Tetum language and has been shown in hundreds of locations in every District of Timor-Leste. The film carries a strong message of support for the pregnant wife and mother, and the DVD is screened by midwives and specialist trainers so pregnant women and prospective mums have the opportunity for Question and Answer sessions and can benefit from the knowledge and solidarity of women in their own community.

Life, Love and Health is producing another 400 copies of the film for the Alola Foundation and the Ministry of Health. These films will be shown at Health Clinics where facilities are available and they can be distributed to the expectant mothers during their checkups.



Timorese women are ten times more likely than Australian women to die in childbirth. In addition to producing the film, Life, Love and Health continue to contribute to the ‘Maternity Packs’ Project through the Alola Foundation. The maternity packs help encourage the women to give birth in hospital where they and their babies have the best chance of surviving childbirth and they can receive the care and advice they need for a healthier start in life. Thanks to the maternity packs, the babies don’t have to be sent home in torn up hospital sheets because their families can’t afford infant clothing and baby blankets.

Our support of this project has been made possible through Linda Day, a generous donor who has provided over one thousand pieces of infant clothing designed for premature babies. As a result of their mothers’ poor health, Timorese babies are often born premature and have a low birth weight.

Please contact our partner ‘Alola Foundation’ if you would like to know more about how to support their excellent work in Advocating for Women’s Rights, Education and Maternal and Child Health. Check out www.alolafoundation.org

Mother Support Program
The Mother Support Group (MSG) Program in Ermera District is a joint project between the Alola Foundation and Life, Love and Health Inc (LL&H).

The Mother Support Group Program was initiated and is coordinated by The National Breastfeeding Association (NBA) with support from Alola Foundation. LL&H will work to establish Mother Support Groups (MSG) in Ermera District and collaborate with the activities of other MSGs through this partnership with Alola Foundation.

The concept of Mother Support Groups is based on the mothers and other members of the community becoming involved in breastfeeding promotion programs. The MSG’s improve the environment of support for a mother to initiate and sustain breastfeeding to improve nutrition and immunologic status for their children. Such support includes providing encouragement, as well as accurate and timely information and assuring humane and caring treatment during childbirth.

Early initiation of breastfeeding decreases immediate postnatal bleeding and therefore the main beneficiaries are the mothers through the reduction of maternal morbidity and a reduction in the alarmingly high neonatal mortality rate. In East Timor most neonatal deaths occur within the first month of life.

The Program in Ermera District is coordinated by the NBA coordinator and Infant Feeding Specialist Dr Carla Quintao. Life, Love and Health will directly support Dr Quintao through the LL&H MSG project manager.

Support the MSG in Ermera District