CleanBirth - Saving Mothers and Babies in Laos

CleanBirth.org - Donate $5 Saves 2 Lives

First-ever Crowdfunding to Save 1,000 Moms and Babies

 

Help us save 1,000 mothers and 1,000 babies in Laos by clicking here.

 

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Why? A mother dies every minute from pregnancy and birth related complications: 99% in the developing world, 90% preventable. CleanBirth.org works in southern Laos, where maternal and infant mortality rates are among the highest in the world.

How? In partnership with a Lao non-profit, CleanBirth.org trains village nurses to use and distribute Clean Birth Kits (birthing supplies which prevent infection). Further, we fund nurses’ trips to remote villages to distribute the kits and conduct “Safe Birth Outreach,” a curriculum aimed at making birth safer.

What Can You Do? Join us by

1. Donating here http://startsomegood.com/Venture/cleanbirth/Campaigns/Show/save_the_lives_of_mothers_and_infants_in_laos

2. Spread the word on Facebook and Twitter!

IMG_0063About CleanBirth.org 

From 2008-2011, Kristyn Zalota (MA, LCCE, doula)  worked with Burmese, Cambodian and Ugandan women and saw that prenatal and postnatal care was largely unavailable. While researching the issue, she discovered the effectiveness of Clean Birth Kits and Laos’ tragically high rates of maternal and infant mortality.

In 2012, she partnered with Lao non-profit Our Village Association (OVA) to bring kits and education to southern Laos. Within less than a year, CleanBirth.org has amassed a volunteer team of more than 10 men and women whose expertise enables us to more effectively realize our mission.

 

Long Road Ahead to Salavan, Laos

The road ahead of me is long. I leave home Friday at 10am and arrive in Bangkok at 2am on Sunday morning (2pm Saturday EST). Monday, I fly to Pakse, Laos and then take a 3-4 hour bus to Salavan.  Long road literally.

In the figurative sense as well, I have a ways to go. My goals for this trip:  conduct the Clean Birth Kits training and kick-off the Clean Birth Kits Field Trial.  More broadly, I want to understand the local maternal and infant health needs, build trust with local staff, and develop a plan for meeting their needs.

I am taking off my fundraising hat for a couple of weeks (though I do plan to send emails that tug on heart and purse strings) and putting on my program coordinator hat.  Though my primary job at CleanBirth.org is to raise money, this trip is my time to build relationships and develop a hands-on understanding of what can/needs to be done.

Wish me luck on the long road ahead…

Reflections and “What’s Next?”

The past few months have been fruitful. Instead of my usual “What’s next?,”  I’m going to take a moment before I leave for Laos, to think about what’s been accomplished (Caution: I am pretty much tooting my own horn here)

First off, with the help of my wonderful intern, I have raised enough money to fully fund the Clean Birth Kits Pilot Project!  People have been so generous.  The number of people (70+) that have responded convinces me that the issue resonates with many people.  One person that it resonated with is Sarah Cody at FoxCT who will be profiling CleanBirth.org on December 3rd.  So excited!  I hope that we will reach more potential donors…and that I don’t look too jet-lagged since I fly in the day before filming!

The fact that I don’t have to twist arms for people to pull out their wallets is crucial.  If it was a tough sell, my job would be awful.  Because when you get right down I need to 1. to listen to the leadership in Laos about what they need to improve maternal and infant mortality 2. get them money/training.

Despite my initial aversion to fundraising, reading “Fundraising for Social Change” has convinced me that people want to give.  Thanks to this book, I am actually looking forward to developing a comprehensive fundraising policy, which will include becoming a 501c3 (in the works) and creating an effective Board of Directors.

I will certainly have my eye out for potential board members at an event I am hosting for YaleWomen CT on February 10.  I will get a chance to talk about CleanBirth.org and then connect with these impressive women.  Here’s hoping I capture someone’s interest.

Another way I am using my Yale connection, is to team up with students interested in global health at Yale Nursing School and the School of Public Health.  In December, I will give a presentation to these students in the hope that one or two will secure a grant to come to Laos in summer 2013 and provide training to local staff.

I am so grateful to several women who have approached me about supporting CleanBirth.org:  Susan Clinard an amazing artist and friend who is helping me plan a fundraiser in New Haven; Jacki at http://hjunderway.com/13-for-13/ who is running a 1/2 marathon in Tanzania to bring awareness to 13 non-profits; Valerie Baumal, founder of http://www.anakijo.com/, who has offered to donate her lovely handmade children’s products/a portion of her proceeds to raise money.  Their generosity empowers me to think that we can indeed make an impact and reduce the number of mothers and babies dying needlessly.

I feel like I am ready for this trip and the training of 10 staff members.  In the past week, I have used PATH’s fantastic resource about conducting a Clean Birth Kits training.  I modified it and sent it along to a new Lao friend at Cornell who translated it.  I need to print 10 copies, slide into 10 green (lucky Lao color) folders, insert into 10 purple (CleanBirth.org’s color) bags, add chocolate bars from IKEA (chocolate = universal) and I am mostly ready to go.

So… “What’s next?”

Excited to Work with Impressive Leaders in Laos

PeacewomenI am thrilled to be working with Dr. Boualaphet Chounthavong and her team in Salavan, Laos. Dr. Boualaphet is one of the leaders of “Our Village” the organization which will distribute the Clean Birth Kits.

She is very impressive with a long track record of hard work in the area and many accomplishments.  A true change maker.  In 2005, She was distinguished as one of 1000 PeaceWomen from all over the world who were collectively nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. I hope very much to promote her work in any way that I can.

Here is a quote from the PeaceWomen site about her:

“Boualaphet has a long list of projects in mind, but the lack of resources, including funding, has made them just wishful thinking so far. In any event, she looks forward to the day she can carry out the work she wants to do…One of the unique aspects of her work is her support of women and children playing central roles in development.”

CleanBirth.org Connecting to Yale

I never expected, when I finished my MA from Yale at 24, that I would live in New Haven again.  At that age, I wanted a big, foreign city and both Moscow and Bangkok filled that need.  But when it came time to raise kids, New Haven turned out to be just the place.  Close to family and chock full of people like us:  bi-lingual, politically liberal, lovers of world cuisine.

This community, which has Yale University at it’s heart, is proving to be a a great support for CleanBirth.org.  In the past few weeks, I have met with a film professor, nursing student organizer, Biomedical researcher, professor of Public Health and Dean of a College.  I have joined the planning committee of Yale Women CT.  All of these Yale men and women have offered to introduce me to others and to support Clean Birth.org.  I am very grateful.

There is also research going on at Yale which directly pertains to CleanBirth.org’s work.  In particular, Yale’s Global Health Leadership Institute (GHLI) has looked at ways that effective maternal and child health programs can be scaled-up.  Their recommendations will certainly inform CleanBirth.org’s program in Laos.

Yale is such an amazing resource and one I will increasingly use.

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