Annual Bundaberg Birthing Kit Assembly Day

On Sunday 21 April, 2013 the Annual Bundaberg Birthing Kit Assembly Day was attended by many of the local Zonta members, family, friends, and students from Shalom’s Walsh house.  Shalom encourages students to contribute to community service projects through helping others or raising funds to help others who are less fortunate than themselves.  By assisting Zonta with assembling the birthing kits it gives students an awareness of how lucky we are here in Australia.

1200 birthing kits were assembled in just over 2 hours with over 60 volunteers sharing in the experience. Assembly Days are a wonderful opportunity for Zonta fellowship and for potential new members and friends and family to hear about the Zonta Club’s activity and join in on the project.

The United Nations (WHO) estimated in 1996 that 585,000 women died annually in childbirth. Developing countries accounted for 99% of these deaths. For every woman who dies in childbirth, another 30 women incur injuries and infections – many of which are often painful, disabling, embarrassing and lifelong.

Ways recommended to help reduce these statistics are:

1. preventing unwanted pregnancies

2. improving antenatal care

3. improving capacity for dealing with obstetric complications

4. providing clean birthing conditions

ZONTA BIRTHING KITS provide for a clean birth that may decrease the risk of death from infection and bleeding. 60 million women give birth each year with the assistance of a Traditional Birth Attendant or no assistance at all. These women need a birthing kit.

The Birthing Kit Foundation distributes the kits to partner organisations worldwide on an as needs basis and to those in most need at the time. The assembled birthing kits from Bundaberg will possibly be sent to DR Congo.  The Zonta Club of Bundaberg has been contributing to this worthwhile cause for around 10 years.