Never easy

Our Breastfeeding support group for Macassar kicked off to great fanfare at the Macassar public library yesterday. It was wonderful and encouraging to see how excited the maternity ward staff were about this group. Nurses, peer counsellors and the nutritionist all contributed to have a huge variety of snacks for the attendees. They even advertised in the local paper! I love that. Attendance was a bit low, but I believe word of mouth will be the best advertising tool in this instance.

One very young couple attended with their 2-month old gorgeous baby girl. Baby girl is drinking a bottle. Why? We asked. Apparently mom was told by a nurse in hospital that her milk is too salty. What a crazy notion! Dad says he spends R800 per month on formula milk. Then the nappies, bottles, teats, all the added expenses of having a baby. This couple is only 20 years old, what a responsibility on such young people. Imagine how much simpler it would’ve been had she persevered, received correct advice and counselling about breastfeeding. Clearly we have a huge job ahead of us in terms of community education with regards to this.

Today I am feeling vulnerable, overwhelmed and sad. Sometimes this, what we do, Bosom Buddies, Thembalitsha, seems so futile. Sometimes I get stuck on the hugeness of the issues, and get overburdened by the enormity of our task. We are not here to change the world, but we are here to make a difference somewhere to some people, to a community, to some people.

Yesterday I met a young mom with a 2-year old boy and a 1-year old little girl. They are very poor and the mom had a dishevelled, drug addicted look to her. Little girl had no nappy on and was dirty. Now, I see this a lot, but sometimes it affects me more than others. I gave her nappies and some food. What more can I do? How can I help? Then I come home to my house with a garden, with a pool for goodness sake. I have TWO inside bathrooms with flush toilets. I have a geyser for hot water. I have electricity to cook food and to have light and to watch tv. I have a washing machine and a tumble drier. Who am I to tell a young mother without any of these things that she should wash her baby’s clothes? She does not have hot water, never mind soap.

A little boy in my daughter’s playgroup died yesterday of pneumonia. The fragility of life is the most frightening thing of all, because even with all these privileges, hot water, flush toilets, warm clothes, Sealy mattresses, we are not guaranteed it.

How can anyone get through a day without faith? How can you not have God to turn to?
As a leader, I am meant to be strong, to counsel my volunteers, and lead my ministry in strength and with courage. This is not always there. I am writing today to ask for prayers, for love and encouragement, because this is not easy. Not even for a day.

Frances

May News

Bosom Buddies is definitely in a growing season. We are positively bursting with ideas and projects that seem to finally be coming together. We are super proud of our sewing project and to have taught such amazing women to sew at our premises. On the 2nd of May we attended the approval market at Southey Vines and we have been approved as a vendor for this coming summer! Southey Vines craft market has a very strict quality control and it is such an honour to know our quality of sewing passes their high standards. So be on the look-out from September every second Saturday for the BB stand at Southey Vines. We’ll be selling our gorgeous quilts, pillows, lovely bags and maybe a surprise or two?


Our Babies Born Sleeping project seems to also be coming together. The wonderful Zoë, who is here all the way from the UK to volunteer for Thembalitsha, has come very far in establishing a support base for mothers who experience miscarriage at Helderberg Hospital. Together with Carolyn, they have set up a group of volunteers and done all the necessary research to get this project started. As with anything, funding is always necessary. We need to make approximately 120 sympathy bags per year. A sympathy bag contains a blanket and cap to dress the baby in for a photograph, sanitary towels and hygiene products such as soap and toothpaste for mom, plus a little cuddly toy also for the photograph and as a small keepsake for the mother.
We are also grateful that the nursing staff are fully accepting of our volunteers and encourage us in this project, for we all know that without their support we wouldn’t get very far.
This is not an easy project to be involved in, but one that is vital and that has been a dream of our BB founder Mel, and myself for a very long time. Please pray with us that it is a success and that our volunteers will bring the much-needed comfort to the lonely moms who experience stillbirth.


Lastly, it is so exciting to let you all know that our New Moms’ Group – Macassar will start in June! This is a breastfeeding support group that runs once weekly, facilitated by BB. In Macassar, our group will be held on Friday mornings in the public library. Our group in Somerset West is at our offices in Lourensford Rd on Wednesdays. 


Thanks again to all our wonderful volunteers and supporters. 

Such fun at our Royal wedding high tea!

On Friday the 29th of April BB held a high tea at the gorgeous Life church. It was a fun-filled morning filled with glamour and tradition. The 60 ladies and 17 children watched the Royal wedding splendour on the big Life church screens. Many thanks to our hostesses Helen, Annette, Amanda, Karlien, Jo and Alice.



Alice won the prize for most stunning table, a night for two at the breathtaking Manor on the Bay, while all the kids received vouchers for Waterworld. Thanks to our great sponsors, the above plus Ster Kinekor, Musica and Reggies, as well as Appletiser for the 80 drinks.

Buy a BB bag for mother's day


Why waste money on a silly mother's day card or wilted flowers? To celebrate mother's day, buy a Bosom Buddies bag for R150 and we'll deliver it to a special mom and babe for you. As a keepsake, you'll get a smiley pic of a very happy mother and her newborn. Bank details on request.