Non-profit organisation continues to give care bags to new mothers

A local non-profit organisation continued to donate care bags to newborn babies and mothers in provincial hospitals in the Helderberg and Stellenbosch district this year, despite the difficult circumstances of Covid-19.

This was according to Lindy Officer, the project manager of Mama Themba, which is part of the Thembalitsha Foundation. Mama Themba donated 1 035 care bags so far this year, according to Officer.

The care bags handed to mothers of newborn babies, contain a vest, a baby grow, a jersey, beanies, booties, some toiletries, nappies, and for the mother some sanitary towels, according to Lindy Officer, the project manager of Mama Themba. PHOTO: Supplied/Mama Themba

“It’s very basic. It’s not meant to equip the mothers. It’s meant to give them a little ray of hope and sufficient toiletries for the first few days,” said Officer about the care packages. “We believe that every baby needs to be celebrated, and I believe that life is precious,” she added.

Originally called Bosom Buddies, Mama Themba and this care bag project was founded in 2006, and works via donations, according to the Mama Themba website. The care bags are packed and prepared in a Wendy house on Helderberg hospital grounds in Somerset West, where they are stationed. 

 “We have approximately 100 volunteers who knit, sew, crochet and collect donations for us,” said Officer. “I had approximately 25 volunteers doing bag packing and hospital visits before the Covid pandemic. That changed hugely due to Covid.”

Mama Themba is stationed in a Wendy house on the Helderberg Hospital grounds  in Somerset West. According to Lindy Officer, the project manager of Mama Themba, only three people are allowed in the Wendy house at a time. This made it difficult for volunteers to help out on site. PHOTO: Supplied/Mama Themba

Equipping mothers 

The care bags are donated to various hospitals such as Helderberg, Macassar and Stellenbosch Provincial Hospital, according to Officer. 

“The care packages helped a great deal, especially for those patients that did not bring anything with them to the hospital,” said Sr Charmaine McLean, the operational manager of the maternity ward at the Stellenbosch Provincial Hospital.

McLean explained that, on average, between 140 and 160 babies are born per month in the Stellenbosch Provincial Hospital, and so far almost every mother received a care package this year.  

Stellenbosch Provincial Hospital, situated in Merriman Street. Sr Charmaine McLean explained that these care packages helped mothers to take care of their babies until they got home. PHOTO: Lara van Zyl

Mama Themba also provided education and support services to the mothers in the clinics, according to Officer. This is done via two peer councillors who trained the mothers in the clinics. “My ladies are highly qualified in breastfeeding and the latest, up-to-date contraceptive methods,” said Officer. 

“Everything in my work is important,” said Zoleka Malamba, one of the peer councillors. “I’m very passionate about helping my patients.” Due to the pandemic, Malamba lost contact with a lot of patients, but continues to counsel and educate through WhatsApp messages and in the clinics and hospital. 

Knitting the community together

The Stellenbosch community also continues to donate and help by knitting various items for the babies. Christine Chemaly, a former volunteer at Mama Themba, got into contact with the grandparents of the girls at Rhenish Primary School via her daughter, who is the secretary at Rhenish.

“She got quite a lot of grannies involved who do a lot of knitting and they knit beautiful jerseys and little beanies and little socks and she gets them together and gives them to me and I hand them over to Mama Themba,” said Chemaly. 

This initiative is still on-going. “It is doing quite well actually because the grannies are all at home and they have all been knitting and it’s wonderful,” explained Chemaly.

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