It’s just over one month since the earthquake in Nepal on 25
April that killed over 8,800 people and injured more than 23,000. With subsidiary quakes and aftershocks there have
been a total of over 25 earthquakes in the past 7 days; 93 earthquakes in the
past month and 104 earthquakes in the past year. Additionally the monsoon season has now
started, further complicating life for those living in tents and temporary
shelters and those involved in the relief effort.
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| Running for shelter from the monsoon |
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| Regular Skype Calls |
So far we’ve raised just over £10,000 through our online
campaign and approximately £3,000 through other donations. What a fantastic response! The first tranche of money transferred to
MIDSON has been put to good use supporting an outreach programme to
the worst affected districts. In
association with UNICEF and the Ministry of Health and Population’s Family
Health Division, nine nurse-midwives have been recruited and deployed to work
alongside government health services in primary health clinics in remote areas,
supporting the development of midwifery skills and taking much needed aid and
medical supplies. The RCM’s contribution
has enabled MIDSON to hire trainers and supervisors to prepare and support
these nurse midwives and a programme manager to ensure the successful delivery
of the project. The nurse midwives have been issued with tents and sleeping
mats, raincoats and dried food to ensure their comfort and safety. Kiran Bajracharya, President of MIDSON, said
‘I am so impressed with the dedication of these young nurse midwives to travel
far away from home to help those communities affected by the earthquake. They are so enthusiastic and happy to help’.
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| Training the outreach nurse-midwives |
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| Training at the MIDSON office before deployment |
MIDSON also want to develop a programme of support for women
and staff in Kathmandu’s maternity hospitals.
Kiran explains: ‘with the trauma that both women and staff have
experienced and the pressure on services, there is a lack of basic midwifery
care. Women need someone to show them
love and compassion, a therapeutic touch.
We need to support hospital staff in providing respectful maternity
care. Women are not getting the support
they need to breastfeed their babies. We want to employ some ‘midwifery
ambassadors’ to reach out to women and staff in the maternity hospitals with
love and compassion and we want to use the RCM money to help us with that’.
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| loading the trucks with supplies and with midwives before their long journey up-country |
Finally, the RCM has been very touched by many of the comments
from those who have donated through our just giving page and the creativity in
raising funds. Here’s a selection of
some of those comments:
‘I would like all other women to have the
same midwifery care as I was able to’.
‘On International Day of the Midwife the Supervisors
of Midwives at Newham Hospital hosted a cake sale; with the help of some
budding Mary Berrys and the generosity of all who supported us we raised this money
for the mothers and babies of Nepal’.
‘A donation to help colleagues in Nepal help
women safely birth their babies who will bring a little happiness in this sad
time’.
‘This is Nepal's future’.
‘Good luck to all my fellow midwives working
in such a tough environment. Your dedication is inspirational and the lives you
save will never forget that’.
Thanks to everyone who has donated so
far. The RCM has been doing its bit too. We have taken collections at various
events around the country and staff have been donating their own money, baking cakes and selling them at
work. I held a garden party for 30
friends and neighbours on bank holiday Monday and we raised over £300. What could you do?
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