Through their Friendship Link with Soroptimist International Harare Club in Zimbabwe, Kidderminster Soroptimists have sent a further donation to support a project of developing and strengthening Traditional Birth Attendants' capacity to play a meaningful role in saving lives, promoting safe motherhood and preventing pregnancy or child-birth related negative outcomes.

SI Harare member, Shirley Souter has written to say that they made up 130 packs for the Attendants which consisted of a bucket, plastic sheet, face mask, surgical gloves, cotton wool, a bottle of methylated spirits, soap, towel and an umbilical cord clamp. These have been handed over to a rural area where 80 women have graduated as trained Attendants.

The Club also used the donation towards their annual outing for children from Just Children and older people of SODA. They went to a beautiful bird park situated by a huge lake 28 kms from Harare. The outing included a walk through an aviary, a 'Free Flying' bird display of eagles, falcons and owls, a 'Chicken & Chips' lunch and ended with a cruise around the lake. Many had not been on a boat before and loved every minute of it.

President Denise Carson, who initiated this Friendship Link, said: 'It has been wonderful to hear our donation has been used to help women and children especially supporting SI Harare's project with Traditional Birth Attendants. Soroptimists worldwide will be supporting our International President's Human Rights Day Appeal on 10th December for training and support in Papua New Guinea to increase skills, further education for Birth Attendants and to improve facilities to reduce maternal mortality and morbidity'.

For more information on the International President's 10th December Appeal - Birthing in the Pacific please visit http://sigbi.org and follow the links to the Appeal.

For more information and details about Kidderminster Club's activities and membership, please email on kidderminstersorop@gmail.com or look at our website link on http://sigbi.org