Rotarians from the Canberra Sundowners chapter will be joined by other volunteers and members of the Legislative Assembly this weekend to assemble and pack birthing kits. Photo: Supplied.
Canberra Sundowners Rotary Club has rallied its forces to buy, assemble and pack 2000 birthing kits. At about the cost of a cup of coffee, each kit can potentially save the life of a mother and new-born.
More than 60 volunteers are expected to come together this weekend (Saturday and Sunday, 29-30 April) to assemble and pack the six-item kits, which cost $5 each but together have a $10,000 price tag.
Canberra Sundowners Rotary Club president Sam Doyle says the $7000 already raised is testament to the incredible effort from the community and organising committee.
“What I like to say to people, and I’ll tell anyone who listens, is that this is a community event bringing Canberrans together,” he says.
“It’s showing a broad cross-section of the community coming to support this.”
Mr Doyle says the packing weekend has a tri-partisan guest list, including MLAs Ed Cocks, Peter Cain, Dr Marisa Paterson and Emma Davidson.
He also thanked the Rotary Club of Woden Daybreak, Keane Consulting, RCD Consulting, Fearless Women and Coaching Alliance Group for their support.
The kits contain soap, gauze, a plastic sheet and gloves to hygienically deliver the baby, plus cord ties and a sterile blade to tie and cut the umbilical cord.
Once assembled and packed in Deakin, Birthing Kit Foundation Australia sends the kits to remote areas throughout Asia, Africa, the Pacific and the Caribbean.
“There are a large and disproportionate number of women in these areas giving birth in unsanitary and unsafe environments,” Mr Doyle says.
“When that happens, there is a greater chance the mother will have complications following the birth, there could be infection or other disease.
“It makes it harder for a midwife, if there even is a midwife there, or a nurse or any aid person helping the mother give birth.”
Birthing Kit Foundation Australia says the kits prevent childbirth-related infections in mothers and children and also protect birthing attendants from infections including HIV.
The collaboration with the foundation comes as part of Rotary’s maternal and child health month of April with the goal of protecting the lives of mothers and children.
This April will be only the second for the now 30-member Canberra Sundowners chapter of the Rotary Club since it was established in August 2021.
Mr Doyle said the young club had hit the ground running through relationships with Community Services #1 and St Vincent de Paul Society Canberra/Goulburn.
“We have a number of projects on the go but we’re mainly reactive and like to be busy people that jump in wherever the community needs,” he says.
“We don’t go out there and bog ourselves down in one big project over the year, we will be involved in many different projects.”
To make a donation or volunteer for the birthing kit packing shifts at Legacy House in Deakin on Saturday and Sunday, 29-30 April, visit this page.
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