by Jeff Colbourne
Northern News Services

RANKIN INLET (Sep 24/97) - Healthy moms and healthy babies.

It's the name and goal of a program 13 new moms and expecting moms are enjoying in Arviat.

"They really like the program," said Winnie Malla, co-ordinator of the program which has been running since 1985.

The idea behind the volunteer-driven program is to help mothers learn how to cook healthy and feed their family properly.

"They're just young moms, they don't know much about cooking," she said.

Following the four basic food groups, the women find recipes and cook together every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, incorporating traditional foods into each prepared meal whenever they can.

In addition to cooking, the women also do home visits Tuesdays and Thursdays and visit the Health Centre where nurses and staff talk to them about nutrition, and one very important part of child care, breast-feeding.

Malla said it's essential that more women breast-feed because of its nutritional value and to help the family save money. It can be quite expensive buying milk for formula, she said.

"I think there are a lot of moms starting to breastfeed their babies. It's healthier," Malla said.

There's growing support for Healthy Moms and Healthy Babies in the community.

Last March they were forced to move from their home in the Roman Catholic building because the church wanted it back, but, the NWT Power Corp. intervened and helped relocate them in one of their vacated staff houses in the community.

They have the building rent-free for one year.

To make sure moms get the best care under the program, two child development co-ordinators take care of the moms' older children while moms cook downstairs in the kitchen.

"The building is just right," said Malla.

To improve the program in the future, Malla and her associate Sally Waah are in the midst of looking for an accountant to talk to the women once a week and teach how to better budget their money.

Moms, most of whom receive social assistance donšt have a lot of money to work with a month but an accountant can help them stretch their dollars further, she said

"I can understand that having that small amount of money how hard it is to budget."