In 2009, I moved with my husband, one-year-old daughter and four-year-old son to work with trauma survivors at the Mae Tao clinic on the Thai-Burma border. While there, and at Angor Children’s Hospital in Cambodia, I learned that midwifery care was non-existent. Wanting to find ways to support pregnant mothers, I trained as a doula and, later, as a Lamaze childbirth educator.
In 2011, I traveled to a ground-breaking, private birthing center in Uganda (Shanti Uganda) to try out my new doula skills. In addition to working at the Shanti Uganda Birthing Center, I volunteered at the local hospital. What a life-changer!
There was a shocking lack of sterile supplies for birthing, for example one woman gave birth on the dress she wore to the hospital. I later learned that in addition to lack of supplies being unpleasant for the mother, it was unhygienic and could cause infection.
My time at the hospital gave me my mission. I decided to work to give pregnant women access to clean birthing supplies.
In the beginning, I broadly researched maternal and infant health in the developing world. I found out that 1 million women and infants die of infection after birth each year.
Children whose mothers die are ten times more likely to die within two years of their mothers’ death.[1] For every woman who dies, thirty more endure a debilitating illness or permanent disability.[2]
As I delved into where and how I might be able to help, Laos came onto my radar. I had traveled there extensively and was shocked to learn that the country has one of the highest rates of maternal and infant mortality in the world.[3] A staggering 80% of births occur at home and only 20% have a skilled attendant present. Women stay home because of distance and expense: it can cost a month’s wages for transportation, accommodations, food and medicine. Further, clinics are under-resourced and understaffed: There are about 300 midwives for Laos’ population of 6.5 million; the rate of doctors, nurses, midwives is 6.7/10,000 people[4].
Sounds pretty bad, right? Well, there is hope. Many of these deaths are preventable by providing education about clean birthing practices and Clean Birth Kits, which promote and enable clean birth.[5] We can do something!
By supplying Clean Birth Kits — which the WHO and United Nations have recommended for decades — we can prevent needless infections. The kits are especially effective for home births, which represent 80% of births in Laos,[6] because they give pregnant women and their family members picture instructions and the tools to make birth safe.
Here’s what our kits contain:
- Padded blood absorbing sheet for comfort and easy clean up
- Medicated soap to prepare a safe birth environment
- Sterile surgical blade for cutting the umbilical cord
- Cord clips for precision and to help prevent infection
- Biodegradable bag
- Pictorial instructions
The best part is that the kits and training for a community health worker costs just $5.
Two lives saved for $5. Pretty good value, right?
CleanBirth.org has partnered with a non-profit in the remote Salavan (Saravan) Province in southern Laos. The Lao organization already has local community health workers serving local women and children. The model is effective: neighbors helping neighbors in their own language, respectful of their customs and traditions. CleanBirth.org simply provides local staff with Clean Birth Kits and training in hygienic birthing practices. The locals carry the information and kits into the community.
I am thrilled to begin training community health workers on November 11. The trip will certainly be an adventure and I hope that you will join me, via this blog, on the journey. I greatly appreciate your reading and spreading the word about CleanBirth.org.
[5] http://www.healthynewbornnetwork.org/resource/clean-birth-kits-potential-deliver-evidence-experience-estimated-lives-saved-and-cost
[6] http://www.path.org/projects/clean-delivery_kit.php
This post has been written by Kristyn Zalota, Founder of CleanBirth.org. To read more about her work, please check out her blog at CleanBirth.org.
Kristyn, what a terrific organization you have there. Wishing you the best of luck in all future Cleanbirth.org endeavors. Just think, 10, 20, 30 years down the line, all the lives you saved will one day do their own good. It’s a wonderful circle of love and hope you’re building here.
Thank you so much for your kind words!
What an fantastic cause, Kristyn. Thank you so much for sharing this here and I wish you all the best in your journey to spread this great mission on November.
Thanks Maureen — stay tuned for stories of what will no doubt be an adventure!
Wow, Kristyn, what you’re doing is fabulous! I’m happy to help in any way I can … even if just by spreading the word for now. It’s shocking how things which we totally take for granted (even in South Africa) simply aren’t available in places like Laos!!
It’s a very sobering realization for me to know that (due to the complications I suffered leading to 2 emergency c-sections) if I’d lived there neither I nor my children would be alive today! 🙁
I wish you loads of success with this life-saving initiative and thank you for actually DOING something practical about it! May God Bless you and all who support you!
It feels great to be DOING something as you said. Thanks for your support!
You are an inspiration, Kristyn! It’s hard to imagine what moms in developing countries have to go through during childbirth. But because of people like you, things will definitely get better for them. Thank you for choosing to follow your heart. Many women, children and families are blessed because of you. Looking forward to reading more about what you do!
I love what you said about following my heart. It is truly the case — and I know that I will get more out of it than I put in.
Awesome work, Kristyn!! Do you happen to know Dee Harlow, one of our World Moms Blog contributors that writes from Laos? If not, you must meet her!
It makes life so much better knowing that there are people like you out there changing and saving people’s lives.
Only $5 buys a kit? Wow.
Jen 🙂
I do “know” Dee via our blogs. I love reading her posts. She is having quite and adventure herself. Yup 5 bucks saves lives — hard to imagine but it’s true.
What a small, online world! I hope you both get to meet in person! So happy about what you’re doing, Krystyn!
Jen 🙂
Yes, we do know each other virtually and hope to meet one day. Her trip in November won’t bring her into Vientiane but perhaps next time.
In the mean time Kristyn
(not sure what happened there)…if you need any contacts here in Vientiane, I would be happy to assist you. I am slowly meeting people in the ngo community and would love to help you with your initiative.
I would love that! I will email you. Thanks!
Kristyn, I am so impressed with your work! what a fantastic organization, and thank you for writing about it and spreading the word! I am looking forward to finding more about your organization on your website.
Thanks for your support Elizabeth!
Wow – what an amazing organization ! Thank you so much for introducing me to it! I can’t wait to read about your adventures in Laos!
Thanks Maman…stay tuned:)
I love this whole thing. Maternal and child health is an issue very dear to my heart. Having had one of my children here in Kenya and watching people I know not survive their own births has cut me to the quick. I’ve been looking for ways to try and help in this arena. So far I’ve been volunteering at a woman and child nutrition clinic, but it seems like such a small thing. Are you working at all in Kenya? I’d love to figure out a way to combine some efforts. If you’re at all interested in brainstorming, please email (you can find through http://www.mamamzungu.com). Cheers!
I completely understand about feeling like what you are doing is not enough. Keep at it — you will find a way to make a difference. While I am not working in Kenya, I would love to brainstorm. I will email you soon!