HERE in first-world Australia we take it for granted that when it is time for a woman to give birth she will be doing so in a safe environment under the supervision of medically trained professionals.
The same cannot be said for women in developing countries. But before throwing your hands up in the air and thinking there's nothing you can do about it, think again.
Just $1.50 of products can change a life-threatening situation into the best possible for expectant mothers in those parts of the world.
The Rotary Club of Grafton Midday is right onto this with their ongoing project to assemble simple and inexpensive birthing kits.
Grafton Rotary Midday service projects director and mother-of-three Leila Thompson said several clubs in this Rotary district (from Grafton to the Gold Coast) were currently putting together these kits. The Grafton contingent recently spent a Saturday afternoon at the Uniting Church hall cutting up sheets, towels, ties and counting gauzes, swabs and gloves in preparation for packing the life-saving bundles.
"We then send them to the Gold Coast to be shipped overseas. We completed 100 kits at the working bee and sent them off last week. For something so vital, it is very cost-effective process. Can you believe they only cost around $1.50 to make up," Mrs Thompson said.
According to Mrs Thompson, about 300,000 women and three million newborns die each year from preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth - mostly in developing countries.
"We partner with government and health service providers who receive and distribute the birthing kits to vulnerable women to help enable a clean and safer birthing environment. The countries we focus on are Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Timor Leste and Samoa."
Mrs Thompson said their quest to source contents for the kits resulted in an amazing response from the Clarence community.
"Lifeline has been very supportive in donating unwanted towels and sheets, Southside Pharmacy donated gauzes and swabs and Clarence Valley Wholesalers have donated small soaps, rubber gloves and garbage bags."
Club members and the public had also been generous.
"We could really use more small cakes of soaps. The little ones from hotel rooms are perfect for the kits."
If you want to donate goods or help with the production of these birthing kits, contact Leila 0409 902 538.
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