Team
IBFAN Africa Regional Office Contacts
We are here to assist you
“Contact us and one of our staff members will assist you”.
The International Baby Food Action Network (IBFAN) was established in 1979. It is a network of 273 public interest groups in 168 countries, working globally and nationally to reduce infant and young child mortality and morbidity. In 1981 IBFAN Africa was established to coordinate several NGOs engaged in infant feeding and maternal nutrition. IBFAN Africa continues drawing strength from the global diversity, resources, and experience of the IBFAN global network.
IBFAN aims to improve the health and well-being of babies and young children, their mothers, and their families through the protection, promotion, and support of breastfeeding and optimal infant and young child feeding practices. IBFAN works for universal and full implementation of the World Health Organization International Code and subsequent WHA Resolutions, adequate maternity protection, and other related infant and young child feeding issues. IBFAN is the recipient of the 1998 Right Livelihood Award. IBFAN’s work is based on the principle: “Breastfeeding is a collective right of women and children.” IBFAN calls upon governments to enact maternity protection through effective legislation, including paid leave and adequate workplace nursing breaks
IBFAN Africa’s regional work covers over 50 groups and focal points in over 30 countries. To ensure ownership and sustainability of interventions, IBFAN works with governments, more with the Ministry of Health, Labour, Social Development, and other sectors. IBFAN membership comprises Civil Society Organization (CSO) groups and individual members, some of whom are from Government ministries, institutions of higher learning, where their positions and influence in government greatly benefit IBFAN works with policymakers and in the communities.
Over 50% of members work as volunteers, and these can be civil society activists, health care, and public service officials using their spare time to support the network. The Regional Office provides technical assistance and can only offer modest seed grants when funds are available for specific projects.
IBFAN Africa Programmatic Areas: All based on human rights.
- Coordinates and support Nutrition National Coordinators and local NGOs working in Infant and Young Child Feeding
- Provide technical assistance to Governments in developing knowledge and skills at clinical and community levels on Infant and Young Child Feeding/Nutrition (IYCF), Quality Improvement (QI). Food and Nutrition Security and Maternity Protection, World Breastfeeding Trends Initiative ( WBTi).
- Assist countries in developing the national code of marketing of breastmilk substitutes, implementation, monitoring, and enforcement, including training of monitors.
- Assist Governments in developing evidence-based policies and guidelines on IYCF, including the Code of Marketing Breastmilk Substitutes.
- Provide technical assistance in implementing the Baby-Friendly Health Initiative and communities.
- Provide Technical Assistance to countries in developing strategies to support community outreach, mother support systems in implementing IYCF, including complementary foods.
- Assist countries in adhering to the Codex Alimentarius
- Assist Countries to develop and implement Social Behaviour Change Communication (SBCC) in IYCF
- Support countries to protect, promote and support breastfeeding in Emergencies.
The IBFAN Africa team combines outstanding technical, programmatic, and managerial qualifications with a unified vision and commitment to attain expected results, as stated in the profile. The team consists of Dieticians, Nutritionists, Nurse/Midwives, Medical Doctors, Legal persons, social scientists, and others. Some team members are International Master Trainers on the International Code and Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiatives, among other courses. International Trainers in IYCF and Maternal Nutrition, some team members have taken the lead in developing national regulations based on the Breastmilk Marketing Substitute (BMS) code in various countries of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), East, West African regions in collaboration with United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund(UNICEF), World Health Organization (WHO), and IBFAN. IBFAN has collaborated with UNICEF and WHO in monitoring Maternal and Infant and Young Child Nutrition (MIYCN) services. Most have done consultancy with WHO and UNICEF and recently have been trained in Net Code. IBFAN Africa also draws expertise from the global network.
IBFAN Africa is not only a significant and trusted player in the area of infant and young child feeding in Africa but is also a regional focal point for WABA and works closely with UNICEF, WHO, and other regional organs that include SADC, African Union (AU), East Central and Southern African Health Community (ECSA-HC) and Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
Nomajoni Ntombela
Chairperson / Technical Advisor
Nomajoni has extensive experience inreproductive health, maternal and child health, HIV and AIDS, PMTCT, maternal nutrition, Infant, and Young Child Feeding (IYCF), Infant Feeding in Emergencies and Early Childhood Development. Appointed as IBFAN Africa Regional Co-ordinatorin 1990, Nomajoni provided critical technical input on HIV and AIDS, PMTCT, policy development, the International Code including national laws, the BFHI to countries in sub-Saharan Africa. During this period, she collaborated with UNICEF, WHO, and WABA and she is recognized as a global leader in IYCF and PMTCT programs. Besides working on the International Code on Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes, Nomajoni has helped with advocacy, communications, and counselling.
As a Resident Advisor for the USAID funded Project in Zambia from 1998 Nomajoni led the development and implementation of the Ndola Demonstration Project, a first-of-its-kind program implemented at the primary health care level to address HIV testing, PMTCT, and IYCF through clinical- and community-based interventions. As a Regional Technical Director, she led the expansion of the project to nine countries in the west, east, central, and southern Africa.
- She was later appointed as Technical Director for Nutrition Assessment, Counselling, and Support (NACS) program in South Africa, integrating nutrition and HIV including IYCF into routine health facility- and community services in all nine SA provinces.
Juliet Aphane
Board member / Treasurer
Juliet is a nutritionist with vast experience in rural development, research, and policy development. In collaboration with the Centres for Disease Control, she has worked on investigating levels of malnutrition at national level and further directed qualitative studies to interrogate causes of undernutrition in infant and young children. Findings from these studies led to her passion in the promotion of breastfeeding and the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes. For two decades working for the Nutrition Division of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations Head Quarters, she was primarily responsible for assisting governments, globally, in integrating nutrition considerations into their national development plans, programmes and policies.
For a period of three years, she was engaged as lead and Chief Technical Advisor for a United Nations multi-agency project in Southern Africa. The project had inter-sectoral objectives which included capacity building, addressing challenges in the areas of food and nutrition security, education, health, and social welfare. This entailed working with state and non-state practitioners from the different sectors collaboratively, towards one goal of improving capacities of local, district and national institutions.
Juliet, a former board member of Swaziland Infant Nutrition Action Network (SINAN) at the time, was engaged in negotiating IBFAN Africa relocation to Eswatini. She is currently a board member and a Treasurer of IBFAN Africa.
Nomvuyo Tyamzashe
Acting Director - MHSRIP
01.08.1956 – 14.11.2021
Nomvuyo was a highly motivated, seasoned, and mature leader with exceptional qualities and a wealth of work experience of more than 20 years in the management and coordination of various health initiatives and programs. She worked regionally and locally having held positions of Deputy Chief of Party, Regional Technical Advisor, and Quality Assurance/Quality Improvement Advisor for WHO, FHI360 and URC. These positions were seasoned with international exposure.
Nomvuyo had the capacity to strengthen teamwork, enhance the development work and social protection of the target populations. She regarded herself as having highly developed communication and negotiation skills, supporting this claim by her ability to communicate at any given level. Her long experience working with Governments, International Organizations, and NGOs cultivated this capacity in her. Nomvuyo was former Swaziland Infant Nutrition Action Network(SINAN) Director and joined IBFAN Africa in 2017 as a Board Member and Director.
Nomvuyo will be missed both personally by her friends and family and professionally by all her colleagues. Those who knew Nomvuyo and were a part of her life were very fortunate.
Sithembiso Mnisi
Program Manager
Sithembiso’ areas of expertise include clinical dietetics, advanced HIV clinical management, Senior BFHI national assessor, Lactation Management Trainer of trainers, Implementation, monitoring, and enforcement of the International Code of Marketing Breastmilk Substitutes, and a servant of God.
He joined IBFAN-Africaas the Program Manager in 2018 and brings17 years of experience in the field of dietetics (therapeutic diets, community nutrition, organization management, and foodservice administration), research science, descriptive and analytic epidemiology, advanced expertise in HIV clinical management and a Master trainer on the International Code of Marketing Breastmilk Substitutes.
He accumulated his extensive experience in the field of nutrition through working for the South African Departments of Health and Correctional Services, Kagiso Khulani Food Services, Sasol Company Group, Nutrition Dietetics Practice, Universities (SMU and UP), and FHI 360 International company, and his Non-Governmental Organization.
Sylvia Kimmie
Program Associate
In Sylvia’s capacity as a Monitoring, Evaluation, Research & Learning Administrator, Program Officer, and Associate, Procurement Officer, Travel, Logistics, and Admin Manager, she gained knowledge in the administration field, developing budgets, financial and administrative systems controls, data management systems, procurement and logistical arrangements.
From the years 2008-2012, she undertook a lead in the administration, capturing, processing of rapid assessment data in 14 Districts in 7 Provinces of South Africa. She has worked with international teams from East, Central, and Southern Africa on various events and programs. Sylvia has strong planning, coordination, and exceptional organizational skills with the ability to manage and multitask across a range of functions. She has worked with individuals at various levels of seniority and across several culturally diverse backgrounds.
Sylvia joined IBFAN-Africa in 2018 as the Program Associate and brings with her a wealth of knowledge and experience over a broad spectrum of administrative skills.
Office Address
PHYSICAL ADDRESS
881 Mastiff Street, Garsfontein, Pretoria 0081,
Gauteng, South Africa.
POSTAL ADDRESS
12 Woburn Drive, Silver Lakes Golf and Wildlife Estate, Pretoria East 0081, Gauteng, South Africa
Email Address
Contact persons
Nomajoni Ntombela
Sylvia Kimmie
Sithembiso Mnisi
Registration
Registration: IBFANA NPC Reg. No. 2017/516/316/08
IBFAN Africa Office Hours
08:00 – 17:00 SAST
follow us
IBFAN is the 1998 recipient of the “Alternative Nobel Prize” The Right Livelihood Award
