Community Intervention on Exclusive Breastfeeding (EBF) and Mental Health During Extreme Heat: Using humor to raise Awareness
Community Theater: Social Mobilization Launches the Intervention in Matam
The SPRINT-Sen project launched its community intervention in Matam with a series of social mobilization events in the form of forum theater, designed to promote exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) and mothers’ mental well-being. Identified during the co-design phase with the communities, this activity constitutes the first phase of a six-month intervention, running from February to July 2026, across the project’s four sites (Gaol, Taïba, Ourossogui, and Soubalo). Two rounds of performances took place, in February and then in April 2026. Scheduled at the outset of the program, they aimed to legitimize mental health as a topic for community discussion and to lay the groundwork for outreach activities (community talks, home visits) conducted in the following months.
The use of forum theater is part of a communication approach that prioritizes culturally rooted channels over top-down information formats. As a dynamic medium accessible to all, it made it possible to reach a wide audience and address sensitive topics through fiction. Performed by a local troupe, the play depicted situations that many families recognized immediately, and the humor helped create an atmosphere conducive to discussion. Pregnant and breastfeeding women, mothers-in-law, grandmothers, and spouses, as well as religious leaders (imams) and community leaders (village and neighborhood chiefs), were invited.
What the play highlights
The scene opens with a young woman returning from the maternity ward, her first child in her arms. She strives to follow the advice she received there, to exclusively breastfeed and not give her any water until the baby is six month old, but her daily life makes this task difficult. Her home, ill-suited to the heat, offers no cool place to rest : her sleep is disrupted, and fatigue sets in. Added to this are the burden of household chores, the precariousness of a household without a stable income, and above all, the pressure exerted by those around her, especially her mother-in-law, who challenges the young mother’s choices. Tensions center on the infant’s feeding. Tensions center on the infant’s feeding. Under pressure from her mother-in-law, whose husband agrees with her, the young mother gives in and gives her baby water, after which the baby falls ill shortly thereafter, suffering from vomiting and diarrhea. Faced with this situation, the story highlights the importance of seeking help from healthcare professionals, with a doctor who treats the child and educates the family on best practices for infant feeding.
Beyond breastfeeding, the play addresses maternal mental health with a significant focus: the young mother shows no obvious signs of psychological distress. Nevertheless, the doctor recognizes a genuine psychological vulnerability in her, which he chooses to address through a motivational interview. The play thus sends a message of destigmatization, emphasizing that psychological distress is not always visible and deserves to be taken seriously even in the absence of apparent symptoms.
From Performance to Discussion
Each performance concluded with a structured discussion session, allowing the audience to respond, ask questions, and share their own experiences. Community actors, healthcare providers, and community psychologist Fatou Khouma jointly summarized the key messages, with the aim of reinforcing understanding..
