Looking forward to 2015

by Frances Fuchs, Project Manager at Mama Themba

We are well into 2015 and looking forward to a great, exciting year for Mama Themba! We want to start by offering a BIG thank you to Operation Shoebox for the beautiful shoeboxes we received before Christmas. Our volunteers love delivering them over the season. Each gift beautifully wrapped and lovingly put together, we are awed by the generosity and kindness.

With so much going on, we are in urgent need of volunteers. Please contact us if you'd like to find out more about how you can be of assistance!

Coming Up: Mama Themba is hosting a baby shower on 7 March to raise awareness for the project and to thank our supporters from the past nine years! Hear special guest speaker Melanie Novitzkas tell us how it all started. All gifts and proceeds are in aid of our babies born at Helderberg Hospital. Tickets are only R50, and all will receive a soft serve from the Dream Machine ice cream truck! Bring your children along - the event will be picnic style on the beautiful lawns of Winery Road Forest!

Special thanks to Lize Francis who once again allows us to use her gorgeous venue.

October News

This past month Bosom Buddies was proud to be invited to participate in the Health Summit at Macassar Day Hospital. The Health Summit had the purpose of educating the community in services the clinic offers, but more than this, it was an educational exercise in teaching the community about taking their health and the health of their children seriously.

It was both adorable and encouraging to see groups of school children getting their teeth checked by the clinic dentist and taught how to brush and clean properly, all of them leaving the clinic with a brand new toothbrush and toothpaste.

We stepped into our role of educating mothers. Bosom Buddies was allocated the responsibility of teaching those present on the dangers of drinking, smoking and taking drugs whilst pregnant. We also of course continued with our breastfeeding drive, promoting the benefits of exclusive breastfeeding.
I would like to thank our wonderful volunteers from the US, who spent three days painting our sewing room and office for us. I know it might seem like your efforts are wasted, but to us it is a huge blessing, one which we would struggle to find otherwise.

The past two years we have focused intensely on shifting our focus to the empowerment and education of pregnant and breastfeeding mothers. We have done very well but still feel there is so much more to do. There are so many more women we would like to meet and areas we want to penetrate. We cannot simply meet a new mother at the hospital, hear her story and leave it at that. I feel very strongly that we need a follow-up, a meeting place to entertain and exchange stories. To teach, to love, to minister and encourage. More importantly, with our support groups established in several areas, we now face the next obstacle: to have them better attended and to spread the word. Furthermore, there are still many areas and clinics in our own neighborhood where we need to be. Logistical challenges are what prohibit our growth at this stage. I would like to ask all our supporters to pray towards practical solutions.

An updated needs list:

1. Nappies.
2. A car for Zoleka, our breastfeeding counselor, to enable her to reach more clinics easier.
3. Supplies of tea, milk, sugar and biscuits for our support groups.
4. Baby clothes.

Thanking you for so much love, support and prayer.