Make . . . Birthing Kits & Dresses
Birthing Kits
Women in Haiti give birth on their dirt floors in their hut assisted by a family member or a midwife. If the mother encounters complications beyond her midwife's experience, she and her baby will certainly die. Infections are the leading cause of these deaths. The World Health Organization has published important research about the importance of a clean birthing kit in preventing maternal and infant deaths in the 3rd world. The kits are amazingly simple and cheap but have the ability to reduce maternal and infant deaths tremendously.
Each clean birthing kit consists of the following:
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1 sq. meter of plastic sheeting to lay on the floor or bed under the mother.
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A bar of soap for the midwife to wash his hands and then clean the mother's perineum and the baby after birth.
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Clean cotton gauze.
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1 sterile single edge razor blade to cut the umbilical cord.
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Clean length of string 15 cm to tie umbilical cord.
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1 pictorial instruction sheet.
Each year we supply between 300 and 500 of these kits to the midwives of Tibouk. Recently these kits have been made for us by two girl scouts working on their silver awards.
The World Health Organization has very specific instructions to make these clean birthing kit. If you are interested in making clean birthing kits please contact us.
Contact : stjuleshaiti@gmail.com
Pillowcase Dresses
Every little girl needs a beautiful dress. A pillowcase dress is simple, inexpensive and requires only basic sewing skills. Just google "pillowcase dresses" and you will discover lots of pictures, ideas and instructions to help you get started.
If you are a bit more skilled and creative, you do not even have to use a pillowcase. Each simple dress requires only about 1 yard of fabric, depending on the size of the dress. The women and girls of Haiti love bright colors, florals and bows.
The need is great--we can usually distribute every dress that we receive. And, the girls who receive new dresses are joyful and delighted.
Contact us for more information and where to send completed dresses: