Providing income generation, and giving Mums a safe space for their newborns to sleep.
Our mission "To generate income for women living with HIV, while providing a safe place for infants to sleep, preventing accidental harm from mothers."
This initiative has been running for several years and was founded by an English doctor who previously volunteered at the hospital. Supporting both Women’s groups and our Uje Umampha (HIV) support group programme, ladies living with HIV learned how to weave Moses baskets for babies to sleep in, made form locally sourced cane, helping them to be financially independent, and earn enough money to support their children’s school fees, and eat a nutritious diet. These baskets are bought from the ladies for the baby baskets project, then filled with baby and mother needs including a mattress, soap, nappies, clothes, toys, bras, pants, sanitary pads. They are prepared and delivered by volunteers to the maternity unit at Nkhata Bay hospital once a month. The baskets provide a safe place for infants to sleep preventing harm from mothers accidentally rolling onto the babies during sleep.
Volunteering with this Project
This project would suit anyone and is already fully funded and can be done alongside volunteering with other projects, as volunteers only need to commit around two days; shopping for some items, cutting the foam for mattresses, sorting and packing the donated clothes, toys and soaps and then making the delivery to the hospital. The contents of the basket is fully listed at Butterfly Space Lodge.
There is a requirement that on delivery of the baskets the volunteers read a prepared script to the new mother. It would be advisable to be acquainted of this before arrival at the hospital and arranged with a nurse that you are coming for them to translate. Contacts are available.
The Baby Baskets Project also has its own Facebook group, where you can watch this inspirational video by some of our weavers! WATCH VIDEO HERE
If you would like to donate to this project, please see our Wish List for the things we need which would benefit our school! Thank you!
