Hello Everybody
My apologies for only sending out the update now – it has been a very busy time and I wanted to wait
for information to come in before sending this update.
Thank you to the following contributors…..
Arlene Johannson, Dimitra Kotsopoulos, Dr Lara Smith, Marlene Helfrecht, Bronwyn Hopwood, Bessie Kotsopoulos, Thea Athina Kotsopoulos, Jane and Sebastian Dunn, Tara and Dave Dunn, Sandy Schuurmans, Sharon Wewege, Heather Mylne, Sheena Hutchings, Ingrid Rix, Tracey and Sean Fraser, Rene Grimmbacher, Liam Grimmbacher, Michael P., Sally Harris, Anna Johannson, Kirsten Hopwood-Smith, Ruby Passet-Gradwell, Yolanda Parry, Ward Counselor Denis Joseph and Harriet Joseph, The DA Women’s Network [DAWN], Colleen Sinclaire, Dalma Cherryll, Natalie Damian-Harris, Friends at the New Beginnings Clinic, Friends at Monterey Pre-Primary School and supporters who want to remain anonymous.
A very special thank you to Jessica Midlane and friends in the UK. Jessica has recently had a baby and through her friends and network has started collecting products for the Zoe Project from the UK. It has taken off really well but at present, we have no way of bringing those items into the country yet.
We appeal to anyone who may know of a shipping company who would like to donate half of a container [or thereabouts], or perhaps someone who knows Sir Richard Branson [one can dream] who could assist in bringing these items to South Africa. Jessica, this is incredible and we thank you for your efforts!
Congratulations and thank you to Yolanda Parry who has taken up a position as Dullah/Birthing assistant at the clinic. Yolanda has been reporting for duty during the week and weekends. Your enthusiasm and dedication to the moms is a breath of fresh air and a great help. Thank you, Yolanda!
We are still organising attendance with further Dullah courses, should anyone else be interested in helping out. Remember, only if you can commit the time to staying with a patient until the end of the birth, should you consider doing this course.
Babies born…
There were a total of 194 babies born at the clinic during the month of April – 92 boys and 102 girls.
Happily, again, only 4 babies were born to young women aged 17.
The Article in the Chronicle…
I’d like to start off by saying thank you to the many, many positive responses and emails and phone calls we have received. Thank you to those of you who have written letters to the Chronicle.
Please know that the Chronicle published the article dated 21 April in good faith and had no control over the content of the article.
We have had a bit of a negative impact due to that article in that not the same amount of food was donated or products for mom and baby packs were received. We do realize that the article had an impact and effect on all who read it with many questions and uncertainties, but would like to add that the publicity has assisted us.
When one works as either a Community Based Organisation or for an NGO there are unwritten rules and protocol one has to adhere to ensuring successful accomplishment of the aims and goals of that organisation.
It is practiced and known that duplication of functions at the same venue is fatal – whether Medicans sans Frontiers, UNICEF or other organisations.
Duplication uses up manpower and wastes resources. Duplicating or attempting to duplicate existing structures undermines efforts and sets up ideas of competition which distracts from the aims of CBO’s and NGO’s.
Local and International relationships between NGO’s and CBO’s recognises these facts, and adherence to protocol and showing of mutual respect for the different aims of various organisations working within the same community, ensures success.
Successful synergy never includes duplication or ideas of replicating existing projects.
From here on…
We have met with the management at the Retreat MOU and it was agreed to and decided that, as the Zoe Project has an existing infra-structure at the clinic and a track-record of 7 years, and in order to prevent duplication and confusion, that other organisations would have to liaise with both management at the clinic and our director, Tracey Aitken as to their aims and goals.
This is to ensure that the existing structures are used properly and that protocol is followed correctly.
But mainly, this agreement ensures that the goals of the Zoe Project, which is helping the moms and babies [and the staff] are accomplished and our aims are not lost within confusion.
I would like to thank you again for your continued support and again, assure you that we have no intention of withdrawing our support and help for the moms and babies at the clinic, nor for the staff at the clinic.
I look forward to hearing from all of you soon and as always send
Lots of love
Norah Papanicolaou
