This post is the third installment by Kristyn Zalota, Founder of CleanBirth.org, about her work in Laos. To read the first post in the series,click here: “One Mom’s Mission to Save Lives in Laos”. To read the second post, click here: “Small Project Big Impact: Making Birth Safe in Laos”.
As you may know from my previous posts, I am a mom on a mission to make birth safer in Laos. This month my organization, , has the goal of raising enough funds to save 1,000 mothers and 1,000 babies.
I am a doula, Lamaze educator, and advocate for safe birth for impoverished women. I was drawn to work in Laos, because women there die at a higher rate than Afghani women and Lao babies die at a higher rate than babies in Sudan.
In November 2012, I traveled to southern Laos and, with my Lao partner organization, trained nurses in the use and distribution of Clean Birth Kits. When the nurses told me that women give birth alone, I agreed to fund community education about safe birthing practices
Having completed the nurses’ training, we went deep into the mountains to visit the clinics there. I immediately sensed the grinding poverty of the area. People live on $1 per day. The life expectancy of women is short, either due to childbirth (8-12 births) or disease. Most will lose several babies.
What do you see when you walk into the villages? Naked kids with runny noses. Mothers with babies in slings. Bamboo and wood one-room dwellings on stilts. No electricity, not a single store. While a new road connecting Thailand and Vietnam is bringing change, it is mostly in the form of human trafficking, HIV, and environmental degradation.
Despite their poverty, when I looked into the women’s faces, I saw myself. The way they herded their children, nuzzled their babies, and tucked unruly hair behind ears.
I knew, as I watched them, that on a fundamental level they want what I want. They want their babies to be healthy. They want to be able to care for their children, for as long as their kids need them.
I have promised the nurses that I will send 1,000 kits and training funds, equaling $5,000. $5 covers the cost of birthing supplies and training for a mother and baby.
From Feb 5th-8th, World Moms Blog is asking you to help a mother out…just because…it’s important. Here are ways you can help!
* Donate your Facebook status to say: “It’s so simple. $5 Saves 2 Lives: http://Cleanbirth.org Join me and donate your status, too!” (Tag Cleanbirth.org and World Moms Blog on Facebook, if you can!)
* Sample Tweet: “Help Me Save a Mother’s Life in Laos! $5 Saves 2 Lives: http://Cleanbirth.org
@CleanBirth@WorldMomsBlog“And most importantly, please donate…
* Donate $5. Each birth kit gets us closer to our goal of 1,000 birth kits!
So, come on…tell us what normally costs you $5! Tell us in the comments to be entered to win a World Moms Blog tote bag!
This is an original post to World Moms Blog by our World Voice contributor and Cleanbirth.org founder, Kristyn Zalota.
Photo credits to CleanBirth.org.
Sooo excited about your 1,000 birth kit goal, Kristyn! So happy World Moms Blog can help!
$5 Saves 2 Lives
Let’s do this!
Jen 🙂
I can’t thank you enough for all you have done Jen! Not least of all your donation! You are the best!
Such an amazing organization! Let’s get you to that goal!
Thank you so much for your support Elizabeth!
Such a simple, yet amazing organisation and what dedication, Krityn.
Yes, lets do it and get those 1000 kits..!!!
Thanks for your kind words! It’s my privilege to do this work!
I can’t wait to help out and spread the word for this amazing cause! I’m going to also post something today directing my readers over to your piece on WMB!
Thanks Nicole for getting me started at World Moms Blog and for your on-going support! Thanks so much for writing a post about CleanBirth.org!
Brilliant! 🙂
$5 is around R40 which buys you 2 litres of milk, one loaf of bread and a small jar of peanut butter in South Africa.
But wait, our petrol price is going up by 41c tomorrow so we’re expecting ANOTHER price hike! By next week we’ll probably have to leave the peanut butter. 🙁
I wish you lots of luck and pray that you reach your goal!
Thank you! A little can go a long way!
I cannot thank you enough for your help with this! Together we can improve the lives of other mothers!
I donated! Thanks for sharing!
Thank you Cindy for your donation!
I love this!! I am going to do a post on it tomorrow for my Worthy Wednesdays series and direct readers here. Keep up the awesome work!!!
Wow! Thank you for your post. Please post the link here so that I can share it!
Great work Kristyn! Just purchased some kits and will now encourage friends and family to do the same!
Alison
Yeah Alison! That is fantastic news — Thank you for spreading the word!
What an amazing organization Kristyn!
Thank you!
Kristyn, I’m a doula and childbirth educator, too, and have traveled in Cambodia and Vietnam! I love what you’re doing! I’m happy to help spread the word and make a donation!
Thanks for your support and donation! We doulas gotta stick together:)
What you’re doing is really such an amazing thing! I salute you! Bless your good heart! Praise God for you!
Thank you Melissa!!
UPDATE: Last weeks CleanBirth.org + World Moms Blog campaign kicked some serious butt: $685 raised from 23 donors! That’s birth supplies and training to keep 137 moms and 137 babies in Laos safe.
These donors would not have learned about us without the efforts of Jennifer Burden and all of you! I am so grateful.