Hello Everybody
The first term of this year is almost over and life is flying by. I hope you are all well and have been making the best of the hot weather.
The mom’s pain during labour and the dad’s face when he sees his child for the first time.
There are few things that can compare to this experience.
Mom and baby packs…
We have received the most beautiful newborn baby clothes for our baby packs. The moms will be most grateful for these, and also, we will be going into winter soon: the majority of these items were for winter!
The items are all lovely and very much appreciated by those who receive them.
The second hand clothing all goes to either safe houses or baby houses – so thank you for those items too.
Dry goods pantry…
The milk delivery [2 liters a day] seems to be problematic at present, as well as the bread [which is no longer available], so the food items we provide along with, of course, the daily one dry Provita, is all they have to feed the moms.
Thank you for your continuous support here. It is difficult, especially for the Kangaroo moms, to breastfeed a baby when you have an empty stomach.
We still have our 40 x 250g margarine tubs filled with vegetable soup – and if any of you would like to make more for us, please let me know.
A Special thank you…
To Elsie and Ras du Plessis from Miracle Kidz. I mentioned them in our newsletter and update last month but I would like to thank them again because they have gone above and beyond being emergency foster parents. Elsie and Ras have helped a very desperate pregnant mom by looking after her child while she went into labour.
The dedication of these two individuals is phenomenal – they have made a huge difference to the life of that child AND the one the mom has given birth to.
Another extra-ordinary thank you…
I am not going to name them by name [can’t single out individuals], but the two sisters at MOU who assisted with another emergency baby from Westlake – thank you for going out of your way to help this baby, for helping us register him and getting him his necessary injections.
You have done a wonderful service to him and I am especially impressed that you do your work with such joy and pleasure. Thank you!
Dullah Course…
Our Dullah trainer will be running another course soon – if you are interested in becoming a ‘birthing assistant’ please let me know and I can arrange for you to join the group who will be training.
Please note that these courses are run specifically for people who want to help at the Retreat Maternity Clinic. People who would like to do this privately and earn an income from this have to arrange their own
courses and training.
Support Structures…
I would like to talk a bit about support structures. We all have someone, either family or a close friend, who is there for us during a time of need. But we are also there to support them.
Many of the women I come across at the clinic and within underprivileged communities do not have this.
The question is, what do we do about this?
I haven’t got an answer yet, but I do know that it is important to re-connect with people and to value the friendships we do have. It isn’t about what that person can do for us, the maybe’s or perhapses, but rather an emotional support: The ‘just being there’ kind of support.
Life will feel lighter with someone on your side.
No man is an island, we need others to grow and others need us too.
Thank you so much again for all the wonderful messages of support that we receive via email and other means – the encouragement is an amazing boost for the staff and it is great to know that so many people care about what we do.
Take care and lots of love
Norah Papanicolaou
Information Empowers!
because every child matters
and for The Zoe Project
http://www.informationempowers.org.za/
norah@xsinet.co.za
The first term of this year is almost over and life is flying by. I hope you are all well and have been making the best of the hot weather.
A huge thank you to the following contributors…
Arlene Johannson, Jane and Sebastian Dunn, Tara and David Dunn, Sandy Schuurman, Sharon Wewege, Heather Mylne, Ingrid Rix, Rene Grimmbacher, Michael P., Donna Cobban, Anna Johannson, Yolanda Parry, Cathi and Colin Henderson, Sally Harris, Colleen Sinclair, Sharon Reynolds, The kind parents and children at Constantiaberg Pre-school, our anonymous friends at the New Beginnings clinic, Anonymous friends at Monterey Pre-Primary, and The ladies at the Constantia Gardeners’ club.
Babies born…
There were 185 babies born in February 2010 - 87 of them were boys.
Again I was very privileged to be a birthing assistant to a mom on Monday while she was giving birth, and I must say that the experience is still the same – absolute awe at the little miracles coming into the world.
The mom’s pain during labour and the dad’s face when he sees his child for the first time.
There are few things that can compare to this experience.
Well done to the staff who work so hard, and who assist moms to give birth to healthy babies under very difficult and sometimes stressful situations.
Mom and baby packs…
We have received the most beautiful newborn baby clothes for our baby packs. The moms will be most grateful for these, and also, we will be going into winter soon: the majority of these items were for winter!
The items are all lovely and very much appreciated by those who receive them.
The second hand clothing all goes to either safe houses or baby houses – so thank you for those items too.
Dry goods pantry…
The milk delivery [2 liters a day] seems to be problematic at present, as well as the bread [which is no longer available], so the food items we provide along with, of course, the daily one dry Provita, is all they have to feed the moms.
Thank you for your continuous support here. It is difficult, especially for the Kangaroo moms, to breastfeed a baby when you have an empty stomach.
We still have our 40 x 250g margarine tubs filled with vegetable soup – and if any of you would like to make more for us, please let me know.
A Special thank you…
To Elsie and Ras du Plessis from Miracle Kidz. I mentioned them in our newsletter and update last month but I would like to thank them again because they have gone above and beyond being emergency foster parents. Elsie and Ras have helped a very desperate pregnant mom by looking after her child while she went into labour.
The dedication of these two individuals is phenomenal – they have made a huge difference to the life of that child AND the one the mom has given birth to.
Another extra-ordinary thank you…
I am not going to name them by name [can’t single out individuals], but the two sisters at MOU who assisted with another emergency baby from Westlake – thank you for going out of your way to help this baby, for helping us register him and getting him his necessary injections.
You have done a wonderful service to him and I am especially impressed that you do your work with such joy and pleasure. Thank you!
Dullah Course…
Our Dullah trainer will be running another course soon – if you are interested in becoming a ‘birthing assistant’ please let me know and I can arrange for you to join the group who will be training.
Please note that these courses are run specifically for people who want to help at the Retreat Maternity Clinic. People who would like to do this privately and earn an income from this have to arrange their own
courses and training.
Support Structures…
I would like to talk a bit about support structures. We all have someone, either family or a close friend, who is there for us during a time of need. But we are also there to support them.
Many of the women I come across at the clinic and within underprivileged communities do not have this.
The question is, what do we do about this?
I haven’t got an answer yet, but I do know that it is important to re-connect with people and to value the friendships we do have. It isn’t about what that person can do for us, the maybe’s or perhapses, but rather an emotional support: The ‘just being there’ kind of support.
Life will feel lighter with someone on your side.
No man is an island, we need others to grow and others need us too.
Thank you so much again for all the wonderful messages of support that we receive via email and other means – the encouragement is an amazing boost for the staff and it is great to know that so many people care about what we do.
Take care and lots of love
Norah Papanicolaou
Information Empowers!
because every child matters
and for The Zoe Project
http://www.informationempowers.org.za/
norah@xsinet.co.za
