During her visit to Sierra Leone, Salma encountered a young mother with her one-week-old baby boy. Captured by a camera crew, she decided to breastfeed the hungry infant, a gesture that drew attention and both praise and criticism.
At the time, Salma had just completed breastfeeding her own one-year-old daughter, Valentina, and felt a connection with the newborn as they shared the same birthday.
The actress recounted the heartwarming moment, explaining, “He was very hungry – I was weaning my daughter Valentina, but I still had a lot of milk, so I breast-fed the baby.” Salma’s empathetic act aimed to combat the stigma surrounding breastfeeding in Sierra Leone, a country with a staggering infant mortality rate.
In 2018, a decade after the incident, Salma revisited the memory while accepting an award at the UNICEF Ball. She recalled how a desperate 15-year-old girl had approached her, sobbing and seeking milk for her newborn baby. In a selfless move, Salma offered her own milk to feed the infant, stating, “I got milk. I sat down and I breastfed this baby.”
However, Salma’s act of kindness was met with both appreciation and backlash. Some criticized her for the wet nursing, a practice where one woman breastfeeds another’s baby, often when the mother is facing difficulties with milk supply. The historical practice has been replaced by modern alternatives like formula feeding due to potential risks associated with transmitting substances like drugs, alcohol, or viruses through breast milk.
Salma recounted that her publicist advised UNICEF not to release the photo capturing her and the baby, indicating the divisive nature of the gesture. Despite the mixed reactions, Salma remains steadfast in her commitment to charitable endeavors. Over her three-decade-long career, she has contributed to various causes and organizations, including the Salma Hayek Foundation.
Salma’s story underscores the complex and often polarizing nature of charitable acts, as well as the evolving perspectives on breastfeeding and its cultural implications. While her action aimed to address a pressing need, it also opened up discussions about the boundaries of empathy, cultural sensitivity, and the challenges associated with public service.
