Scholarship Recipients

Tatiana Techer

My name is Tatiana Techer, and I have been a nurse since 2016 and am originally from France. I became passionate about perinatal care at a very early age: accompanying families, supporting parenthood, and promoting breastfeeding give my professional practice its full meaning.

In 2021, I moved to Quebec, Canada, with my family, continuing my commitment to this field, which is so close to my heart. My personal experience as a mother, and in particular the challenges I encountered when breastfeeding for the first time, prompted me to deepen my knowledge: reading research, accessing lactation training, connecting and exchanges knowledge with professionals and providing support for other mothers, notably as a breastfeeding godmother.

Today, as a perinatal nurse, I have the opportunity to accompany mothers on their breastfeeding journey, postnatally, at home, or in community organizations. I strive to offer personalized, informed support that respects their decisions, so that every woman can experience breastfeeding with peace of mind, whatever her reality.

For me, IBCLC certification represents much more than recognition: it is an essential step towards strengthening my skills and making a more significant contribution to Maternal Child Health. I am deeply grateful to have been awarded the HeL-IIHL French Language Lactation Education Scholarship.

Samia Bennis

My name is Samia Bennis, a mom of two, and it was through my own motherhood journey that I discovered both the power and the complexity of breastfeeding. I began by helping other moms around me to make the most of their breastfeeding and mothering. Having always had the desire to pass on, share, and support, I naturally sought to structure this commitment. That's how I discovered La Leche League (LLL), whose resources were a real revelation.

Affiliated with LLL for the past 5 years, I volunteer my time to help many families, listening, supporting, and providing accurate information about breastfeeding. I've met women whose breastfeeding has been compromised due to a lack of support or misguided advice. This reinforced my conviction that competent, caring support is essential.

Today, I want to deepen my knowledge through a comprehensive training course. For me, the Trudi Szallasi Scholarship is an invaluable step towards supporting families in their projects.

I'm also the founder of a new educational project, which encourages children's creativity and awakening to the world of STEAM, in a spirit of respect for the environment.

Mirriam Goiye

My name is Mirriam Goiye mother of four children first twin boys aged 14 and second and third single girls aged 10 and 12. I come from a small town called Kerowagi in Simbu province of Papua New Guinea married to Enga province in Papua New Guinea. We lived in my husband’s village called Irelya in Wabag, Enga Province.  I graduated with a Diploma in general nursing from the Highlands Regional College of Nursing and worked for 4 years in general wards.  Then I went to obstetrics and gynecology working there for 3 years then I built up my interest in Midwifery so went on applying to study midwifery in 2017 and 2018 at the University Of Goroka in Papua New Guinea. 

I completed the International Confederation of Midwifery [ICM] program in 2018 and graduated with a Bachelor in Midwifery in 2019. I am currently working in labour ward and post-natal ward. I was selected as a trainer of Trainee [TOT] for Emergency Maternal and Obstetric Care [EMOC ] and Primary Mother and Baby Care [PMBC ] training in the Province where I co-facilitate and assist with the Papua New Guinea Health Service sector development program.  As an experienced mother of twin sons, I developed an interest in helping mothers who facing complications in breastfeeding twins, so through experience, I help the mothers who deliver twins. Helping them how to do football positioning and also do proper breastfeeding positioning and attachment.

I am also teaching the mothers in labour ward and post-natal ward to do Kangaroo mother care.  It is cold up here in the highlands of Papua New Guinea so I promote natural warmth from the mother which provides the need for warmth, love, and nutrition and decreases the risk of hypothermia, hypoglycemia, and neonatal sepsis and enhances breastfeeding. As a nurse living in the village is very challenging in terms of women going in through labour or lactation problems and other medical or obstetric-related problems. My husband also helps them by transporting them to the hospital. I advise and assist them to the hospital for the right care and management and hospital delivery is promoted.

With that, I am more than happy to study with the Health e-Learning with the International Institute of Human Lactation Inc. My special thank you for the Trudi Szallasi scholarship, and for the golden opportunity offered for me to study online for the lactation program.

Huynh Thi Diem Thuy