Knitted jumpers helping babies to have a good start in life
For many years we have been sending knitted items to Taiama. These include tiny hats and jumpers for babies, and little blankets to wrap round them like a shawl. These are given to those pregnant ladies who come into the clinic to give birth to their babies. In the clinic, there are experienced birth attendants, who have been taught about the importance of sterilising instruments and reducing the risk of infection, as well as how to stem maternal bleeding. This means that the babies born there have a better chance of surviving.
They will also have a record of the births, which can be used for delivery of vaccinations later on. New mums are expected to bring their babies back for the regular checks that are perhaps taken for granted in the UK, and are sometimes given soap or a towel, which are seen as luxuries there.
Our industrious knitters don’t just think about the newest members of society! Older adults feel the cold in the rainy season, and may have arthritis. Large blankets help to keep them warm too!
These beautiful knitted things are made by people across the UK. Some of them are individuals who do this at home – we found that a huge amount of knitting and crocheting happened during the COVID lockdowns in 2020. There are also groups who meet to knit for a good cause. One example is the Inner Wheel Club of Marlow, who have met every couple of months – when the COVID rules allowed – and produced the lovely jumpers and hats you can see in the middle picture.
We think very carefully about what we should send to Kori, especially with the huge increase in shipping costs since the pandemic. The focus is on educational and medical items – but we are continuing to send knitted items. As you have seen, they play a part in increasing the chance of mums and their little ones coming through the birth as safely as possible, and having regular health checks at the clinic.
