Basic drugs especially pain killers have been donated to Janson Toposona (pictured) over the years. A former Health Extension Officer and retired public servant with the Health Department. Janson operates a dispensary clinic and helps a lot of sick people with his experience and expertise. He is an expert in acupuncture and CFK has provided him with hundreds of acupuncture needles. He uses them to assist many people to recover from pain and disease.
Yesterday we remembered those ANZACs who served in partnership with the Kirwinan people in WW2.
Thank you Diggers for building the Losuia airport strip, the most vital piece of infrastructure on Kiriwina, still in use today. Damage to this amazing piece of critical infrastructure over the past few years makes it relatively impossible to reach the Island unless you are prepared risk your life on a two day, potentially death defying sea journey. Please look after this amazing legacy!!! Photos courtesy of the Australian War Memorial @DFAT, #DFAT @FriendshipGrants,#LestWeForget #AnzacDay
We are feeling extremely happy that the systems that we have in place that deal with the difficult logistics involved in delivering these important items to the Village Birth attendants and Losuia Health Centre on Kiriwina Island are working :).
The people of Kiriwina are really grateful, thankful and appreciate CFK for the services provided to them. Kirwina people also convey their inner most feelings of gratitude and appreciation to the donors all over the world. Thank you very much.
Due to the increase in pregnancies more birth registration booklets have been requested.
Why birth and death registration really are “vital” statistics for development.
In developed societies we take it for granted that all children are registered at birth and that all people are registered when they die with a medically assigned cause of death. We hardly think about birth and death registration because we rarely are the initiators; it is usually the institution where the birth takes place that registers the baby, and the undertaker who registers a death. Our involvement is typically limited to choosing a name for the child and signing the registration papers.
In most developing countries including PNG, however, there is no reliable system as many births do not happen through the official Health Care Centers but happen in the villages, away from any official recording mechanisms. This in part explains why so many births and deaths go unrecorded.
Due to our the growth of our successful CFK Village Birth Attendants network we can help fill this gap by supplying Birth Registration Booklets which are vital for planning. Without knowing the size and composition of the local population, how can local authorities and charity groups decide how much – and what type of essential services to provide?
Only about 65% of all births are registered globally and only about one third of the world’s 55 million annual deaths are recorded through civil registration1, and up to 80 percent of deaths that occur outside of health facilities are not counted. UNDP (2015).
CFK Village Birth Attendants meeting
The people of Kiriwina are really grateful and thankful and appreciates CFK for the services provided to them. Kirwina people also convey their inner most feelings of gratitude and appreciation to the donors all over the world. Thank you very much.
Our wonderfully effective CFK Village Birth Attendants (VBA’s) numbers are growing. We are sending new uniforms over for our new recruits and some replacements for our seasoned veterans. This photo shows of some of our already 300 plus Caring for Kiriwina Village Birth Attendants. Thank you to all our sponsors and supporters and our amazing CFK Village Birth Attendants!!!
These uniforms have been made from the most sturdy of materials and embroidered to allow multiple washes with bars of soap against rocks.
The Kiriwina VBA’s provide a high standard of pregnancy care and conduct successful baby deliveries. Most baby deliveries, about 80% are conducted in the respective villages and 20% of deliveries, mostly critical and complicated deliveries are conducted at the Losuia Health Centre or referrals to Alotau General Hospital. However, the deliveries conducted at the health centre were mostly attended by the VBA’s under the supervision of the health centre mid-wives. The mortality ratio per month is 1:50. Out of 50 deliveries per month, 1 baby dies due to complications and non- existence of life saving medical equipment at the Health Centre. We send over CFK Birth Record books and the CFK VBA’s keep records of their work.
The pregnancy rate on Kiriwina is very high. It has almost doubled from the prior years. There is no method of pregnancy control provided by the local health centre. A great assistance is required in this area to control pregnancy and we appeal to donors for assistance in providing birth control measures.
The Kiriwina VBA’s do not receive any form of allowance or salary. They provide their time and service to the community on a voluntary basis with a generous heart to save lives and promote a high standard of pregnancy care and baby delivery. CFK provides the Kiriwina VBA’s with unforms and other necessary items to encourage them to provide generous service out of a kind and loving heart and personality.
Photo courtesy of Melcah, our in-country manager Toks daughter (in red blouse with a smile took this video and is photographed here with Fellows VBA’s on her way to take photos of the VBA delivered babies)
“The world will never realise 100 per cent of its goals if 50 per cent of its people cannot realize their full potential,” General Ban Ki-moon told the UN Commission. While women bore the burden of conflict, war, discrimination and domestic violence, they were not just victims, but agents of progress. Empowered women and girls were the best drivers of growth, the best hope for reconciliation and the best buffer against radicalisation of youth and the repetition of the cycle of violence, he stressed.
Today is a day for celebrating women. Supporting women and what they can achieve is more important than ever. Please support our Caring for Kiriwina Village Birth Attendants Program to create Strong women = Strong babies.
“Here’s to strong women: May we know them. May we be them. May we raise them.”
– Unknown
Please support our vision is to help the women and children of Kiriwina
Flights have been unavailable since July 2021, however, we are still managing to deliver donated items by extremely expensive and hazardous boat journeys to Kiriwina, thanks to the ingenuity of our fabulous in-country manager Toks and the Kiriwinan people.
We have just mailed 4 huge boxes full of Birthing and Dignity Kits, head torches, Panadol, pencils and pens and all the way from Ireland, our wonderful knitter Carmel’s baby beanies.
With the help of our fabulous sponsors and donors and our wonderful postie Andy. Wishing our donations a safe and speedy journey.
