On Wednesday 3 May, as part of St Catherine’s School’s Wellbeing Program, all Year 10 students participated in a community service activity packing 200 birthing kits for the Birthing Kit Foundation.  

This organisation is a not-for-profit foundation, based in Australia, that sends birthing kits to developing countries around the world, to help reduce the mortality rate of mothers and babies  during labour and birth. 

In some developing countries today, the Infant Mortality data shows over 100 deaths per 1,000 live births. There are similarly horrific statistics for mothers during pregnancy, giving birth or within six weeks after giving birth.  

We have not been notified of the country that our birthing kits will be sent to, however it will most likely be Cambodia. In Cambodia, the mortality rate of mothers in some remote areas is still sadly, extremely high (1:14 in some communities). Across these remote areas many families often meet just prior to labour to celebrate the lives of the pregnant woman and unborn child and for her to say goodbye to loved ones.  

Each birthing kit contains six simple but vital items: 

• Three pieces of string for the umbilical cord (two for tying and one spare) 
• Soap to wash the hands of those involved in the birthing process 
• Disposable gloves 
• Sterile gauze to wipe the infant’s eyes after birth 
• Sterile scalpel to cut the umbilical cord 
• One large sheet of black plastic for the mother to deliver her baby on 

Our Year 10 Cohort diligently completed the task. After some initial uncertainty, the girls became a well-oiled machine and quickly managed to complete the kits. The girls embraced every aspect of the strict hygiene protocol required, with the importance of their task clearly demonstrated in numerous comments from students such as “We might have saved the lives of 200 mothers and babies” and “I feel really good about doing this activity.” 

It was a privilege to work alongside the girls to complete these birthing kits and an honour to provide assistance to such a worthy cause.