Help needed!

I'm a third year midwifery student (and OhBaby! mum of two), and I'm heading away on a volunteer elective placement to Vanuatu in March for a month.

Vanuatu is a small island nation in the South Pacific, between Fiji and Australia. I will be volunteering at the maternity centre in the town of Port Vila, on Efate. Here, health services suffer from a lack of facilities, but more importantly, trained staff. Much responsibility is given to the students in the hospital (a student is better than no one!). The maternity unit handles the bulk of the births in Vanuatu, as it is the capital city where the largest concentration of the population live. In addition, all complicated cases from outlying islands are referred to the main hospital in Port Vila. They have approximately 2200 births per year. Women birth in a shared room containing four beds, and share a communal toilet and shower block. Equipment is very basic, and very outdated.

Being a student and having a little family of four supported only on my husbands minimal wage has been a struggle, but I have managed to fundraise over half of what I need to do this trip, so far. I am staying with a local family to keep costs down.


Sooo...

I was hoping that to get donations of newborn or prem clothes (short sleeved cotton grow suits) and cotton/muslin baby wraps. Donations would need to be new or near new, in good condition. There is a definite need for these basic things on the island and they would really appreciate anything I could take over with me.

If you have anything items you are able to send me, or wish to sponsor me, reply here or send me a PM.

Thank you!!!!!

Thanks mylilmosaic, that would be fabulous!!

I was given a new prem sleep gown for our 9lb1oz baby (?!), I'd happily post that to you. Can you PM your addy?

Hey there
I am about to sort through a whole heap of clothes and im pretty sure there is alot of prem clothes in there alot of it will be boys though.
I have alot of muslin wraps too that have never been used
If you want to pm me your address ill send them too you once ive gone though everything

DO you know if anyone is going after March? As I'll have some clothing that I could donate but I'll need them in march/april for myself first.

Yes, but I'll probably forget!! PM and if you remember to bump this thread then? Maybe that way you'll get more people then to take stuff over for her?

AandCsmum, I will try and remember to do that!

mylilmosaic, I can always take them over and offer them, anyway.

LittleBug I have got the box all packed, have I still got time to get it to you before you go?

Sorry I didn't check this sooner!

Yes, send it down! I leave on Saturday, so if sent today it should still get here in time. Will PM my address.

Thank you so much to those that have sent things, I have two nice piles of baby clothes packed into my suitcase, and two muslin wraps. And yesterday two lovely ladies working at BabyCity in Dunedin bought a few things for me to take as well - I love how generous people are.

Thank you so much!!!!!