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.
Thank you so much to our wonderful volunteer packers, Maria Black, Tracey Small, Finola Border, Lucy Spencer and Bev Buckley, (the book club 🙂 with Andrew Sweeney providing cups of tea and Vanessa Palfreeman at the helm, who all gave up their Saturday afternoon to pack birthing kits for the women of Kiriwina.
Thanks also goes to the donors, who made it possible to purchase all our high quality contents to assemble the kits xxx.
VBAs from all over the Island came to report to our in-country manager during his reporting visit in April, receiving delivery of birthing kits, lanterns, torches, PPE, baby clothing, batteries and soap.
Due to lack of delivery of basic health services to Kiriwina by the PNG National and Milne Bay Provincial Governments, the health services on Kiriwina have badly deteriorated.
The Village Birth Attendants (VBAs) are in desperate need of many items and equipment to help them in assisting with deliveries of pregnant women in isolated communities. The VBAs receive no form of support from the Government, their only support is through donations from CFK.
There are currently 275 VBAs on Kiriwina. Due to the increase in the rate of births due in April, May and June 2021, the VBAs have requested more birthing kits, birth record books, soap, face masks, hand sanitizers, hand gloves, torches, batteries, baby scales and other items to support their pregnant women deliver in their respective circuits.
We regularly send packages to the VBAs, and with your financial help this can continue. Please consider a regular donation, as this allows us to plan for the future and manage resources.
VBAs receive delivery of 50 lanterns and batteries for torches plus hundreds of birthing kits, baby knits and PPE.Regular Subscription Payment Donations
The Losuia Health Centre is currently in crisis with a lack of basic medicines, drugs and family control methods.
Losuia Health Centre nurses Linnesse and Raymond recently received delivery of hundreds of PPE, face masks, hand sanitizers, birthing kits and baby knitting clothes as well as COVID 19 Awareness Posters from CFK. Sister Linnese reported that the number of pregnancies for the first quarter (Jan – Mar) of 2021, doubled as compared with the last quarter of (Oct-Dec) of 2020. One reason for the increase is that the Losuia Health Centre has run out of family planning methods such as contraceptives and condoms.
Losuia Health Centre nurses Raymond and Linnesse receiving CFK donations.
Our In-country manager noted many pregnant mothers returning from the clinic at Losuia Health Centre.
Pregnant mothers waiting for their names to be called at the clinic at Losuia Health Centre.
Kiriwina Secondary School
The students are in a 4 week isolation lock down as directed by the PNG Government to control the spread of COVID 19, resulting in the closure of all Primary and Secondary Schools in PNG. The female re-usable menstrual pads and pens will be delivered in mid-May once the schools are reopened.
What a great Humanitarian
With CFK’s support Janson Toposona runs a small dispensary clinic in Kavataria Village. He is a Medical Officer by profession and former lecturer with Divine Word University based in Madang. He retired from his formal employment, returned home and volunteered to run the small dispensary clinic. The clinic is very helpful to the community. Janson provides free medical services and treats minor cases and with major cases referred to Losuia Health Centre for further treatment.
Jason in his hut which acts as a small medical clinic.
Water pumps
The Communities where the water pumps were installed reported that their pumps are in good condition and we have had further requests for water pumps to be installed in other respective communities and villages.
Food security program
The harvest season is getting nearer. The CFK sponsored gardens have been inspected and yams and other food crops are ready to be harvested in May, June and July this year. The long yams were ready and being harvested and they are being hung in the yam houses for long term storage. There are a total of 103 long yams, ranging from 0.8m to 1.5m! The other type of yams will be harvested in May when the food security yam harvest program is officially opened.
7.3.1928 – 21.4.2021
Rev. Dr. Ralph Lawton was regarded as a Kiriwinan (Trobriand Islander). He called Kiriwina “home” and spoke the Kiriwinan language fluently. He lived the life of the people of Kiriwina, ate the food, drank the water, felt the pains, struggles and the hardships daily. Ralph respected the cultural norms of Kiriwina.
In keeping with the Kiriwinan’s sense of humor Ralph was known as a chief and given the Kiriwinan name “Iyupalilaguyau Lotoni” which means “He who thinks he is Chief Lawton‘.
In Ralph’s honour the Oyabia Mission Station will now been renamed “Oyabia Iyupalilaguyau Lotoni”. Dual country memorial services were held simultaneously on Tuesday 27th April at 11am, with a huge socially distanced crowd of Kiriwinan’s in attendance coming from all over the Island. Tributes were given by representatives of the Kiriwina Bible Translation Committee, VBA’s, Catholic Church and United Church. During that ceremony the New Church Building at Mulosaida Village was also dedicated in honour of Ralph and officially named the “Rev. Dr. Ralph Lawton Memorial Church”. The church will be officially opened and dedicated in July 2021. Thank you Kiriwina.
CFK VBA delivered babies with their mothers dressed in the knitting supplied by Belrose County Club Knitters. Thank you to all our wonderful sponsors and donors.
Photos of our fabulous Postie Andy and team, including Dugie, sending the boxes and boxes of birthing kits, baby knits from our gorgeous Belrose knitters, Michelle’s handmade dresses for the girls, pens, and pencils for the schools, backpacks for VBA’s, and school children, panadol for the Losuia Health Centre and Kavataria volunteer clinic.
We have also purchased another 30 lanterns, 10 boxes of batteries, 5 boxes of gloves, 10 boxes of face masks. Our In-country manager will travel over around the 14th of May to deliver female dignity kits to Kiriwina High Secondary School and meet with the school management to confirm the balance of 2021 school fees for 19 students.
Toks is also traveling to Kiriwina to officially open the harvest season as the host of the CFK Food Security Program to commence the harvesting of the yams that will be carried and stored into the yam houses to conclude the program.
Thank you, thank you all our wonderful donors and volunteers for making this all possible!!!.
The pregnancy rate on Kiriwina in the first quarter of 2021 has doubled compared to the last quarter of 2020 as reported by sister Linnesse of Losuia Health Centre. The high rate of pregnancy is also confirmed by the Village Birth Attendants (VBA’s) from various circuits of Kiriwina. According to Linnese of Losuia Health Centre, the Losuia Health Centre had run out of family planning birth control measures, resulting in a high rate of pregnancies. The Losuia Health Centre is in desperate need of family planning control methods and measures. Also, the Losuia Health Centre is short of basic drugs and medical supplies and is in need of such supplies.
Due to the high rate of pregnancy, the Losuia Health Centre and Kiriwina VBA’s are requesting more birthing kits, hand gloves, face masks, soap, touches, buckets, umbrellas, touches or lanterns, and batteries to assist them to attend to deliveries during day and night.
Caring for Kiriwina wishes a Happy International Women’s Day to all those women who Choose to Challenge. RESPECT! #ChooseToChallenge. #InternationalWomensDay, #women, #respect, #CaringforKiriwina
There is still no help for VBA’s by the Health Department, however, they are very committed to their work and doing their work with kindness and generosity, helping pregnant mothers deliver their babies safely.
Birthing kits were delivered to Fellows, Luba 1, Kilivila 1, Kaileuna and Kula circuits VBA’s.
The birthing kits were delivered to the following villages VBA representatives:
Kavataria VBA’s – Fellows Circuit
Mulosaida VBA’s – Fellows Circuit
Oyabia-Orabesi VBA’s – Fellows Circuit
Osesuia VBA’s – Fellows Circuit
Kwemtula VBA’s – Fellows Circuit
Ilalima VBA’s – Luba 2 Circuit
Okaikoda VBA’s – Kilivila 1 Circuit
Kaisiga VBA’s – Kaileuna circuit
Munuwata VBA’s – Kaileuna Circuit
Giva VBA’s – Kaileuna Circuit
Kitava VBA’s – Kula Circuit
There are currently a lot of pregnancies and the VBA’s require many more birthing kits. The VBA’s also request more torches or lights to help them to attend to deliveries at night as well as batteries. We are currently purchasing another 30 lanterns and more batteries.
We have also distributed condoms’ to our village health volunteer as well as Losuia Health Centre to encourage males to use condoms to promote family planning.
Featured Photo 1: Mother in traditional attire for the first time to come out of the house after giving birth and nursing her baby indoors. Photo 2: Same mother with her baby.
