Warrimoo student midwife Amy Houston’s care packs she put together to give to mothers in Tanzania who have just given birth are going down a treat.
Miss Houston has been volunteering at a hospital in the city of Arusha, which has included home visits to rural Tanzania.
Before she left, the 19-year-old prepared postnatal care packs which included reusable nappies, pads, baby clothes and baby wipes for the mothers upon discharge. She also put together medical supplies for the hospital such as gloves, sanitiser and cord clamps, and sourced a couple of dopplers, used to hear a baby's heartbeat.
The packs cost $30 each, which were funded by donations from the Blue Mountains community.
“With the donations I received, we have made a difference,” Miss Houston said.
“The doppler is the first working electronic heart rate monitor in the labour ward and the 36 care packs I have given out already have touched so many mothers, bringing some to tears.”
It's not surprising Miss Houston was drawn to midwifery and helping others with her mum, Naomi, a nurse, and her dad, Hugh, a social worker. And year 10 work experience at John Hunter Hospital in Newcastle sealed it. She witnessed many births, and enjoyed being able to offer support before, during and after birth.
"I want to support women however they need it most - whether it's a care pack or holding their hand through labour," Miss Houston said when interviewed by the Gazette last year.
