Mamapina: For The Mothers of the Philippines

Meldy Stehmeier Hernandez advocates for maternal health and Filipino heritage

This is about learning more about our culture, but it’s also about me having my own business. So it’s like a give and take— a sort of Bayanihan because it is a community thing. It’s not about pity or people saying, “kawawa naman ang Pilipinas because they don’t have food.” We can do this bayanihan style— let me help you feel close to your culture, but hey, let’s feed the moms who can barely get up because they have no energy, even to breastfeed.

Meldy Hernandez, Founder of Mamapina

There are very few things more fierce than a mama on a mission. Once a vision begins to flicker and determination is paired with passion, small steps eventually turn into leaps and bounds—this is how the story of Mamapina is slowly unfolding—but not without its hurdles. 

Meldy Hernandez left the Philippines at the height of the People Power Revolution in 1986 with a classic Strawberry Shortcake doll in tow when she was nine. In the years that followed, growing up in the US and having lived in so many different places throughout her life, her wealth of experience exposed her to the diaspora of cultures worldwide—and a profound awareness of the disconnect one can feel being away from their homeland. 

Coming home to the Philippines in her 40s, Meldy was inspired to close that gap with a desire to make a difference. Amidst a global pandemic, Mamapina was launched as a social enterprise focused on maternal nutrition, breastfeeding support, and promoting Filipino heritage. 

Drawing from her background as a maternal/child health nurse, she understands that providing food and nutrition to expectant mothers is crucial for healthy pregnancies, natural births, and successful breastfeeding experiences. Meldy believes empowerment begins with meeting the most basic needs, and Mamapina’s feeding program for moms and babies seeks to do just that. 

Now, if there’s one thing we all know about moms, it’s this: we can’t help but want to help everyone.

In this month’s MOB Initiative feature, Meldy takes us through her story as a startup entrepreneur mom and her desire to make a difference for Filipino mothers and our cultural heritage.

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THE BUSINESS OF BEING MOTHERS

So we started our advocacy last January (2022), a little over a year and a half ago, and we realized the need [for education and support] was so great. And so we were at a crossroads where we were either gonna sign up and register as an NGO or register as a social enterprise. I had to pause and say, “As a Filipina, What do I want to do? What do I want Mamapina to be about, first and foremost?” 

And it was about empowering mothers. I’m a mother, and I have to be empowered first, right? And basically, this is me feeling empowered— I can have a social enterprise. 

I think the biggest hurdle is just trusting myself and trusting the products— that they’re gonna speak for themselves. I use these every day. My children look so yummy in it.

Then, of course, in the back of my mind, as a businesswoman, I have to calculate— How much do I sell it for? How do we market it?  All of that. I’ve learned to pause and say, “I trust my products. I trust their power to convey love and heritage. This is the direction we’re gonna go.”

It’s about trusting myself amidst all the suggestions and noise. It’s small steps in trusting the process little by little. 

It’s got to be balanced, too, right? We might also think, “Okay, I want to have reach. I want it to be affordable. I want more people to get their products. And I want more artisans to have work.” So it’s all of it. It’s still taking care of everybody.

As a mother-owned business, we do have these very, very unique challenges, too. We have superpowers. But we are also put in a position where we still want to take care of everybody.

THE INSPIRATION BEHIND MAMAPINA

My first two kids were born in Miami, and I wasn’t surrounded by Filipinas, I wasn’t surrounded by my people, and I didn’t have family around. So I remember that feeling of just being isolated and having nothing. 

But I do remember my one friend, Mia, who was my neighbor up the street, gave me a bunch of used baby clothes. She said she got baby clothes from another mama, and her daughter just outgrew them. And imagine, [you just had] your second baby; you’re all overwhelmed, and you’re breastfeeding, and then you’ve got your toddler. And Mia drops off this big bag of clothes at my house. 

I live around very rich people, but I don’t consider ourselves wealthy. We have enough, but I also want my kids to get an idea of what wealth really means because they don’t get the same kinds of toys that their friends always have. However, we are rich in love, and we’re rich in culture, experience, curiosity, and creativity. So this idea of when I was having babies in the U.S., although I did have enough to eat, I felt like I was missing love and culture— but Mia was able to give me that. 

Then when I had my daughter, Hope, here in the Philippines, my cousin’s wife, Berry, sent me a package—my first gift from family nearby— like a mom-and-baby package. I was in tears. Not like I didn’t receive gifts before, but for some reason, it felt a little bit more special. Here I am, getting all these different things—most of them used—and it meant the world to me. It empowered me as a mom to feel like you’re not doing this alone. There are people out there who care about you. 

So, all of that kind of went into this idea of what Mamapina is.

“THE INABEL, FOR MOST FILIPINOS, IS LIKE A HUG FROM OUR MATERNAL ANCESTORS”

A CALL TO ACTION

We don’t need another NGO to ask for donations from abroad right now. I thought it would be really important, and it would make a great statement to have a social enterprise to solve this problem of lack of food and nutrition for moms and babies in the Philippines and to support breastfeeding.

It gives Filipinos a way to support other Filipinos because it’s so basic, right? It’s just munggo, rice, an outfit, and a lampin. It’s something that could be replicated all around the Philippines.

Filipinos can help other Filipinos. As Filipino Nurses, we have the DNA based on who we are and how we were schooled. I would even say Filipino-American nurses because a lot of them want to help and do something in the Philippines, but they don’t know how. Who would we want to help more than our own people? 

So I wanted to kind of be the flagship social enterprise for Filipino nurses to say, “We can do it, too”— whatever idea they have. It doesn’t have to be maternal nutrition. It can be farming or fashion, or whatever. This is one way that I can help and encourage other Filipina nurses to come back to the Philippines and give back. And then after—the engineers, the doctors— basically Filipino-Americans, or Filipinos in the diaspora to come back here and invest in the Philippines.

AN ADVOCACY DRIVEN BY COMMUNITY

Mamapina has become a platform for positive impact, not only through monetary means, but through action, knowledge, and expert craftsmanship. 

One of our goals in Mamapina is to support exclusive breastfeeding, not just for six months, but for a year. The stats on that are low, but it can definitely be increased. Because so many Filipinas are working now, more than ever, we need to find a way to support them while they’re working.

We also want to try to elevate the role of nurses and midwives in the Philippines. I really believe that supporting nurses and midwives who work with women is one of the key things that Mamapina can help with in the Philippines.

They’re the ones directly with the women. We have Kapwa, we have Bayanihan. If these women, nurses, and midwives are supported, it’s going to trickle down to the people that they’re supporting. 

Mamapina’s journey is a testament to the power of trust, empowerment, and balance. Meldy’s story reminds us that as mothers, we have the capability to shape our destinies, not only as caretakers but also as trailblazers in the business world. Mamapina stands as a beacon of hope, a source of inspiration, and a testament to the strength of mothers everywhere.

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This MOB (Mom-Owned-Business) Initiative feature is an exclusive collaboration between TryLocalPH and Virago
To support Mamapina, visit their website and their socials:
IG: @Mamapinaph
FB: @Mamapina.org