We are grateful to have successfully raised some funds needed to start the Skin to Skin Mother and newborn baby Care called Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) project under Youth Empowerment and Development through Sport (YEDS) in Livingstone, Zambia.
Our first step was reconnecting with the head nurse Yvonne and her assistant neonatal nurse Munzala who are our main points of contact at the neonatal unit of the Livingstone University Teaching Hospital. Together, we discussed what is needed to support mothers in providing skin-to-skin care for their new born babies.
We quickly learned that, besides the special skin-to-skin T-shirts, bathrobes are essential. They allow mothers to dress comfortably for skin-to-skin contact on the neonatal ward while also enabling them to move through the public corridors of the maternity department with dignity and privacy.
Together, we agreed on the quantities needed, including two skin-to-skin T-shirts per baby per day, as well as the type of fabric required to ensure that everything can be washed properly and safely, given the importance of hygiene in the neonatal unit.
The next step is already underway: preparations are being made for sewing classes for women at the YEDS Community Centre.To make this possible, a small security guard house is currently being completed. We hope to appoint a guard as soon as possible. This would provide someone from the local community with a job.
With this initiative, we are providing support for mothers, opening better opportunities for local women, employment within the community, and most importantly better conditions for newborn babies through Kangaroo Mother Care. Together we can achieve more.
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