Gloves”, “Scalpel” “Gauze” As these words rang out through the air on a Friday night in October one could have mistakenly thought they were in a huge hospital theatre, rather than a stake centre for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints.
On the Friday 15th of November more than 70 Relief Society sisters and Laurels participated in a service project in support of The Birthing Kit Foundation (Australia) through Zonta International, an organization that supplies kits to help provide clean birthing conditions in disadvantaged countries. There is a great need for hygienic birthing kits throughout the world, with an estimated 525,000 women dying annually in childbirth, many from preventable infections acquired due to the unclean conditions of the birth. The aim of the Foundation is to reduce the incidence of illness and death amongst infants and their mothers.
| Temple Square is always beautiful in the springtime. Gardeners work to prepare the ground for General Conference. © 2012 Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved. | 1 / 2 |
The Foundation achieves this goal by providing birthing kits to women who, due to reasons such as isolation, poor transportation, or cultural choice, have little or no assistance during childbirth. The birthing kits address the "7 Cleans" needed for a safe delivery which are: clean birth site, clean hands, clean ties, clean cut, clean eyes, clean umbilical cord, and clean perineum. Each kit contains 6 basic hygiene items to achieve this: a plastic sheet, soap, 2 gloves, sterile scalpel blade, 3 cords and 5 gauze squares. Through the provision of this clean birthing kit, and training in how to use it, these mothers are given the resources to reduce infection and preserve life. 600 birthing kits were assembled by the Modbury sisters over the evening, and are destined for Madagascar.
"We have been really grateful for this opportunity to serve our Heavenly Father's daughters in Madagascar who do not have anything like the health care or birthing options available to them that we do. It is wonderful to know that our efforts will help to stop illness and save lives during and after the birthing process," said Katherine Nairn, Stake Relief Society 1st Counsellor. It was a wonderful evening of hard work for a good cause, in good company, and the whole Women's Conference was an uplifting and insightful experience.
This wonderful evening of service began a weekend of spiritual enrichment for Relief Society sisters and Laurel aged Young Women in the Adelaide Australia Modbury Stake. The Women's Conference continued on Saturday 16th when over 160 sisters participated in a variety of classes, covering a variety of topics such as the power of changing ourselves, personal revelation, journal keeping, and finding joy in the mirror. The day culminated in a dinner followed by the live broadcast given by Sister Julie B. Beck, General Relief Society President, given to all Australian sisters. What a blessing it is for sisters to be able to participate in a conference that provides so much friendship and love as they learn principles of truth and skills that will enable them to enjoy the journey through this life.