Bringing life and healing.....
That's our motto....
That's our aim and our calling.
That all people would experience life and healing.
Which is where the outreach work we are doing with hospitals comes into place.
We do various things - including C-section kits ( you can read my blog about that )
and handing out handmade toys to cheer up little kids in malnutrition wards and beautiful handmade blankets to new babies.
When we lived in Lira - one of the issues we noticed as Rob worked at the hospital was the deeply sad reality that many women didn't even have a blanket to take their baby home in from the hospital.
Many had come in the middle of the night or from long distances, not packing anything, only coming when they realised the natural birth was not going according to plan.
And many just could not afford a new blanket for their baby.
There were times when Rob had to ask the father of the baby to remove his shirt so Rob could wrap the new little life into something.
When we noticed I thought, here's a way we can show people kindness and compassion and show them that they aren't alone.
It may not seem like a huge gesture - but to a mum who has nothing but as all mothers do, wants the best for their new little baby, a brand new handmade blanket is a priceless gift.
The beautiful handmade blankets are apart of our Pacha project ( our twin project) you can read more about that on our website. They are lovingly made in Australia by volunteers, who want to play a part in our mission. And when you purchase one, that enables us to carry on our work here in Uganda and you keep one of the items, and the other is given on your behalf to a woman, or child in Uganda.
Not too long ago we took one of our visiting teams up to Lira hospital, where Dr Rob use to work and where the idea first came to us and this time we went to the Neonatal Intensive care unit. A unit that is very close to our hearts after both our boys have needed care in the NICU unit in Australia.
We got together as a team and started to spread the love. Visiting with mothers and their tiny and some very sick little babies. Handing out blankets and a little toy just for them.
Some were met with tears, some with shrieks of joy and some with a very quiet and humbled spirit. As we prayed over each baby and gave out the gifts, many mothers informed us that they did not have anything to take their baby home in.
The head nurse of the NICU was so grateful, as she said that even those who do have blankets, do not have new ones and often they are not very sterile, and for these little, tiny babies with weak immune system they need to be protected from germs.
So once again these brand new blankets were even more beneficial. One lady was AMAZED that people in another country had made these blankets, and that someone had purchased that blanket and had a matching one and that they wanted that blanket ( and toy) to be given to them.
It was amazing to see these women realise that they are not forgotten.
Its beautiful to see a small gesture make such an impression.
While we were there we saw women practising Kangaroo care - many of the machines do not work so there is not enough cribs etc to go around so these tiny babies ( 29 weeks etc) are being kept alive on their mothers chest.
We also got the meet a lady when the NICU nurse ( who knew Rob from when he worked there) asked if he wouldn't mind seeing a little baby that had been bought in and no Dr had been able to see the child yet ( they are currently very understaffed)
Rob and I sat and heard the story of the precious little boy.
The woman who who was caring for him, was not his biological mum.
She was a single mum raising her own 5 children, when one day she was walking along the road and heard a baby crying in the bush, she found the tiny little boy wrapped up and very badly injured in the bush ( sadly I'd say either it was a witchcraft practice gone wrong, or a mother who decided she just couldn't care for the baby)
This woman took the baby in, got him medical care and was doing her best to look after him and see him get better - all while look after her 5 children ( who were all very young )
This woman had such an incredible heart. Our hearts broke for her, and were also so inspired for her.
She sobbed as we spoke encouraging words over her about what a gift she was to this baby.
Rob checked the baby over and confirmed the baby seemed to be showing signs of pneumonia
I got to enjoy some cuddles while Rob checked the baby over and while the woman sat for a few moments and let out her tears and emotions.
She was so incredibly grateful for the new baby blankets we gave her and for the prayers we prayed over her.
She said she had been losing hope that she could do it all, but that we had lifted her spirits.
We gave her some assistance towards medications and directed her to the right place in the hospital for follow up treatment and exchanged numbers and told her we would check on her to see how we could support the little baby.
Isn't it amazing that we just happened to be there at the moment she had come back.
She'd be waiting a long time to see a Doctor and had to leave to care for her children, she cam back again just at the time we arrived and the NICU nurse suggested she sat and wait in case Rob could see her. I'm so glad she did.
To think that this woman who was already struggling to care for her own, was so willing to take in this little orphan and to love him as her own.
The simple act of giving out baby blankets and toys allowed us to spread God's love and to remind so many people that day, that whatever they are going through - that they aren't alone. And that even though they may never have never even left their town, that there are people across the other side of the world who care for them.
Thank you so much to all our volunteers for our Pacha Project that enable us to spread love and life to so many people!
There's lots of way's you can be involved with this project, you can purchase one of the beautiful handmade pieces from our PACHA PROJECT range on our online store on our website, or if you can sew, crochet or knit head to our PROJECTS area on our website and read more about the Pacha Project and how you can get involved.