Certified L.E.A.N. Coach Josephine Nalugo traveled nearly 9,000 miles from Uganda, Africa to become a Certified Dr. Sears L.E.A.N. Coach in August 2010.

Josephine is a woman of much energy and determination and has undertaken many projects to encourage breastfeeding and better nutrition in Uganda, where the mothers she works with live on under $1 per day.  By bringing Dr. Sears L.E.A.N. Start and Expectations prenatal program to Uganda, Josephine is expanding her role to encourage better nutrition and healthier lifestyles for children, expecting and postpartum mothers.

Josephine is an incredible woman on a mission to improve her life and and the lives of others . Her mission to work with  the women of Africa began in 2004 after she gave birth to her first daughter Chantal. Josephine struggled for months to return to her job while breastfeeding her daughter because of the lack of support in Uganda to prepare breastfeeding mothers return to work. Uganda is a country where breastfeeding is considered part of every mothers role, yet the limited support,  social economic pressure, and adapting to western world lifestyles have resulted in reduced numbers of women breastfeeding their children.

As a result of her experience of being torn between work and breastfeeding, Josephine launched Children In Africa – a mother’s support group in her home village in Nkokonjeru, Mukono district. The group began initially with 14 village women meeting twice a month in Josephine’s home to discuss problems they were facing and support each other. Josephine would use this time to inspire the women to breastfeed their babies as well as educating them about proper health care, exercise and nutrition for their family. Josephine’s living example of a mothers’ commitment was further emphasized when she exclusively breastfed her second daughter Charlene even after returning to work after three months. Her experience and work with the village women has inspired many.

“There was a time I didn’t know what to do. As a village woman, you have to, garden, cook, fetch water, … and you have little food to eat. Then, because you are working hard and not eating, you don’t have enough breast milk. But now I have learned that the doodo (green vegetables) I used to despise are what can help increase my breast milk production. We lament a lot, yet we do not make use of the gifts of nature in our backyard. Now I have enough breast milk.” – a 36 yr old mother of five

To date, Josephine has helped nearly 500 mothers and babies establish better health as well as leading an initiative to start many income-generating activities such as weaving baskets, raising chickens and growing vegetable and fruit gardens.

On Chantal’s 5th birthday Children in Africa launched a children’s project to encourage mothers to breastfeed through the development and sale of a children’s coloring book called Breastfeeding Natures Way. Josephine is hoping to use her Dr Sears L.E.A.N. Certification to help shape young children’s tastes as she begins her newest project teaching and hosting complementary food parties.

Dr. Bill Sears and the L.E.A.N. team are excited  to welcome Josephine as a Certified L.E.A.N. Coach and help support her endeavors in Africa.