By now, you get it- SELCA is addressing each point in this great listicle as a way of supporting Black Breastfeeding Week . . . so let’s move on to #4!
#4) Collaboration, Collaboration, Collaboration! Partnership is essential to the survival and sustainability of any successful initiative, program, or organization- large or small. Collaboration is inevitable especially when it comes to seeking funding from private and public donors. However, some do not recognize the extreme value of collaborating. No one individual or entity can achieve optimal success without aligning itself with at least one partner; alignment with more than one partner increases the likelihood of success and impact. Larger organizations can seek out small organizational partners to help increase the outreach and impact of both organizations’ work and target community. Smaller organizations can benefit from doing the same practice.(Stacy Davis, BA, IBCLC, ILCA.org Guest blog post)
Wow. Consider us convicted. SELCA is not new to collaboration, with partnerships across Georgia in a variety of sectors, such as Zipmilk, Department of Public Health, Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition of Georgia, Georgia Breastfeeding Coalition, and other area coalitions, like Southern Crescent Breastfeeding Coalition, and Northwest Georgia Breastfeeding Coalition. However, we do not routinely partner with cultural coalitions or organizations dedicated to women of color. It is time for that to change. We intend to actively seek out such partnerships, both big and small, before the end of the year. Hold us to that commitment.