Fundraising Help to Realize the Madagascar Project!

Hi Everyone! As you know from previous blogs, this doula is destined for Madagascar. The cause? To fulfill a request from a group of mothers and midwives in the area of Mahatsinjo to help them empower themselves to improve the health of women and children. Many women do not give birth in good health and there is a high rate of infant death, often from preventable causes. The women want information on family planning and the midwives want some obstetric training, among many other things. We will work together to identify areas of need. We as the visiting group are very excited to talk to these women and learn from them. I am so curious to hear how they help a woman experiencing a long birth cope with pain and fatigue, and to know about some of the massage techniques they use to treat infertility. These are some very experienced traditional midwives, who attend many many births. But they lack equipment and some aspects of training that could potentially create better outcomes in challenging situations. Some equipment would also make their lives easier.

To any of you out there who know companies willing to donate equipment and especially funds, it would mean so much to us, the Malagasy and North American members of Taratra Reny sy Zaza.

We need:

Mechanical Hanging Scales (12 lbs, SKU0188) $67.00 (need 4)

D-Ring Flannel Sling (SKU954) $13.00 (need 4)

Rochester Pean Miltex® hemostats for cord clamping 7" straights

Rochester Pean 7" curved hemostats

Blunt/blunt scissors 7" (can be used for cord cutting, episiotomy and tongue - tie clipping etc.)

Fetal Stethoscope (SKU2055) $15.00 (need 4)

Portable Headlights - the LED kind

Retractable Tape Measure (SKU0361) $18.00 box of 6 (need 1 box)

Blood pressure cuffs (donation approved by Medical Exchange International)

Stethoscopes, of the regular cheap variety: http://www.1cascade.com/ProductInfo.aspx?productid=7655 can be used with the BP cuffs and for regular infant/maternal screening.

Gloves: Small and Medium (SKUSM112, SKUMD112) $10.00 (need 8 boxes) (1 non latex for me please!)

Watches: (need 4)

Old fashioned thermometers (last forever if they don't get broken, no batteries to replace, and more reliable even though they are slow)

DeLees

Cord tape: http://www.1cascade.com/ProductInfo.aspx?productid=1199 the non-sterile ones listed come with a neat dental floss style cutter, but of course will need to be sterilized.

10 french vinyl catheters with the Luer style end to them - they can be used as an in-out urinary catheter, to assist infant feeding (either gavage or SNS style), and in a pinch can be hooked up to a syringe and used as a suction device (like a DeLee)

Dopplers

doppler gel...

Icterometers? http://www.1cascade.com/ProductInfo.aspx?productid=0179

pregnancy wheels

Pregnancy tests

"pee sticks" http://www.1cascade.com/ProductInfo.aspx?productid=8176

rehydration salts

Drugs: Misoprostol, Ampi, Amoxi, Cipro

We need funds to purchase some tickets and supplies for the travel there (most of that is already funded by the African Woman's Development Fund, as well as this equipment.

So far, we have a comedy night planned for June 3rd (more info about that soon), we are hoping to hold a silent auction, and screen the film Premier Crie. But we need funds really soon for the ticket purchase. If there is anyone out there willing to donate funds to this project, please contact me at info@motherwit.ca, or see more information on donations, check out http://www.sadabe.org/support.html

Any help and suggestions would be most welcome.

Thanks, all,
Lesley