Life is Precious!
Hello Everybody
What a wonderful way to start the year and get going! We have had a great response this month with people phoning and emailing to find out about the Zoe Project and Information Empowers! Word spreads fast and good things happen because people care.
Thank you to the following contributors…
Alison Roberts, Arlene Johannson, Dr Lara Smith, Bronwyn Hopwood, Marlene Helfrecht, Jane and Sebastian Dunn, Tara and Dave Dunn, Jo Dix, Nicki Stock, Nikki Andrew, Sandy Schuurman, Sharon Wewege, Heather Mylne, Sheena Hutchings, Rene Grimmbacher, Donna Cobban, Michael P, Jennifer Norman, Anna Johannson, Antoinette and Claude Denis, Melica McCrae, Yolanda Parry, Constantia Ladies’ Gardening Club, Nurith Henderson and Ivodent, Georgie and Constantiaberg Pre-primary school, Thea Bessie and Thea Athina Kotsopolous, Anonymous friends at The New Beginnings Clinic and anonymous friends at Monterey Pre-Primary School.
A Special thanks to Elsie and Ras Du Plessis for helping out one of the moms and her toddlers in an emergency situation… Elsie and Ras run Miracle Kidz and they are emergency foster parents to little ones who require special care.
Births at the clinic during January…
There were 187 births with 107 of them being boys!
I would like to add the following [due to a couple of questions posed to me recently] that most of the moms who go there to have their babies, actually want their children and have planned their pregnancies.
They are just in a situation where they cannot afford the luxury of a private hospital. Circumstances are preventing them from giving their children expensive medical care, but that cannot be a detraction from the fact that they have planned that child and are able to give that child their best. Like you and I would.
The women who are addicted to substances, or are living on the street also go there to have their children. These are the ones we are helping most of all because of their situations. To us, it doesn’t matter from which demographic situation you hail, but rather that we are in a position to help you and that precious child.
Dry goods pantry…
I have learnt that the bread supply [2 loaves a day] is no longer being supplied to the clinic. I would like to put out an appeal for 14 loaves of bread a week – they can be frozen at the clinic, in order to assist with this desperate shortfall.
We are continuing with the frozen soup [40 x 250g margarine tubs a month], and with the 2 minute noodles, pasta, rice and tinned food, et cetera.
The food makes a huge difference to the moms who are breastfeeding their underweight babies [Kangaroo moms] and to those who do not get a meal delivered to them by family – which is most of the women.
Please let me know if you would like to sponsor 14 loaves of bread a week.
Mom and baby packs…
They continue to wow me! Thank you for the lovely items for both mom and babies. They are very much appreciated and needed.
Interest in the clinic and wanting to do something more…
I have had a couple of people ask about physically helping out at the clinic. Please contact me to discuss the needs. Again, we are in need of birthing assistants [Dullahs] and this can only happen if you have the time to sit with the mom while she is in labour UNTIL the baby is born.
Please keep forwarding our emails to your friends, family and associates. We have a busy year ahead and the more people we reach, the easier it is for us to help others and keep this project going.
Thank you again and happy February.
Lots of love
Norah Papanicolaou
norah@xsinet.co.za
