Clean Birthing Kits

I usually don't use the blog to ask for things, but this particular need seems blog-worthy. Even those who are not interested in participating may enjoy hearing about this effort.

The doctors and nurses who work with Zambia Medical Mission plan to give birthing kits to expectant mothers who do not have access to a hospital or rural clinic for delivery. The kit will include the following items:

Bar of soap
Square meter of plastic sheeting
Razor blade (single edge)
String for umbilical cord
Pictorial instruction sheet for clean delivery
Sealed bag for packaging
Length of cotton cloth
Pair of latex examination gloves

This all seems so simple, but a woman who uses this kit is 13 times more likely to survive her labor. The average woman in Zambia delivers six children. Sadly, the infant mortality rate in Zambia is so high that only three of those children are likely to survive. Three out of four women never make it to the hospital, giving birth on the dusty ground or on the road, many using saw grass to cut their baby's umbilical cord.

We are encouraging those who are interested in this effort to give a donation for this project as a Mother’s Day gift. It costs just $10 to provide seven kits to expectant mothers. What better gift is there to give on Mother’s Day than one that will give an expectant mother in Zambia a better chance to survive delivery and have a healthy baby.

If you are interested in doing this, please make checks to Zambia Mission and send it to the following address: Zambia Mission, 658 E.N. 21st St., Abilene, TX 79601. Please also include your mother’s name and address, as a card will be sent to your mother informing her of your gift.