SPECIAL PROJECTS REPORT

Darcie Clapp, Special Projects Coordinator

October 2010, District 15 Fall Conference

“Because every woman has the right to a clean and safe childbirth.”

Birthing Kit Project

Adapted from ZI Districts 22, 23, 24 Manual Aug 2010

Why?

One hundred and twenty million women give birth every year 86% deliver in developing countries

60 million of these are women who either have the assistance of a Traditional Birth Attendant or no assistance at all

Half a million women die annually, many from infection, tetanus and hemorrhaging. For every woman who dies in childbirth, around

another 30 women (15 million) incur injuries and infections, many of which are often painful, disabling, embarrassing and lifelong.

What?

Zonta District 15 Clubs who elect to participate in the project will assemble clean birthing kits to be delivered from the USA to Afghanistan or to a prepositioning warehouse in Dubai, Malaysia or Panama and from Canada to Honduras.

Working with ZI to approve our distribution partner: CARE USA and CARE Canada MOTHERS MATTER – CARE Signature Campaign -

Improve access to safe delivery services for 30 million women in Africa, Asia and Latin America by 2015

50+ years of experience and success developing and implementing maternal and child health programs

Works directly with women and communities, empowering them with resources and training to ensure that safe birth is a basic human right

Where?

Afghanistan has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world, estimated at 1900/100,000 live births, and a lifetime risk of maternal death is approximately 1:9. The women are either geographically restricted or culturally not allowed to use health facilities.

  In Honduras, only 67% of women receive

delivery care. Mothers have a lifetime risk of maternal mortality of 1:93, as reported by UNICEF in a 2005 study

How?

Birthing Kits save lives and reduce suffering by providing for a clean birth. There are 7 cleans necessary for a clean birth: 1)Clean birth site2)Clean hands3)Clean umbilical ties4)Clean cut5)Clean eyes6)Clean umbilical cord7)Clean perineum.

Our Zonta Birthing Kit addresses each of the 7 cleans. All is contained in small Ziploc bag. It is basic, light, small, water resistant and simple to use.

Who?

All USA kits will be collected by Darcie Clapp (dclapp@walshenv.com or 616-842-2714)

All Canadian kits will be collected by Gayle Manley (gmanley@shaw.ca or 705-949-4614)

Cost?

Each kit costs approximately US$3.00, including the press seal bag and labels; additional costs will be incurred to ship to destination and for customs-to be split based on the number of kits per club participating.

Content?

US$2.74 Total

Where? When?

It’s up to your club to set up a kit assembly day, order the supplies and get the completed kits to the correct District liaison. Invite schools and public to help with kit

assembly. Approximately 2000 kits can be completed in 4

hours with 40 workers. Use the birthing kit program to secure PR for

your local club. Kits are in dire need, CARE expressed interest

for 2000+/year.

“Give a girl EVERY day of her life back.”

Reusable Menstrual Pads Project

Project Overview

To provide pads to school aged girls in Africa who, without them, are isolated, do not go to school and often drop out at the age of puberty

The agency making this request and providing delivery of this product is: PROJECT THRIVE -- Days for Girls

In 2009 Zonta Clubs in District 15 sewed 200 pads

An estimated 500 pads will be donated in 2010

“The comfort pillow with heart”

Mastectomy Pillow Project

Project Overview

To provide soft pillows to mastectomy patients to use between their arm and chest during recovery

Completed pillows are donated to local hospitals or the American Cancer Society for distribution

Tally up the number of pillows donated by your club and send to Darcie Clapp dclapp@walshenv.com