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News

Thank you from us…

Smiles all around at the distribution of donations by the VBA’s 1.1.2023.

Thanks to all our sponsors/donors, Australia post and the mammoth efforts of our in-country manager, our donations finally arrived on Kiriwina for distribution. Yay!

#cfkteam, #management, #people, #fixkiriwinaairstrip, #caringforkiriwina, #cleanwater, #villagelife, #villagebirthattendants, #kiriwina, #trobriandislands, #papuanewguinea, #mothers, #mothersandbabies, #babies, #safebirths, #covid, #villagebirthattendants, #midwives, #belroseknitters, #education, #schools, #health, #charity, #drrevralphlawton, #birthingtraining

Photo of the CFK VBA’s, excited to receive their donations on the first day of 2023 :).

Starting this new year with a photo of a new life. Kavataria CFK VBA delivered a healthy baby girl, born on 10 January 2023.

CFK has been busy over the holiday break, and we have big plans for 2023. We will be sure to keep you posted.

Thank you again to our fabulous sponsors and donors for making this life saving work possible.

#health, #caringforkiriwina, #healthcarecrisis, #midwives, #midwifetraining, #babies, #png, #australiapngPartnership, #donations, #charity

News update 22/8/8: Baby Tomakam had an X-ray yesterday and his doctor will determine whether to undergo an operation or not. More updates will be informed as soon as I receive updates from Alotau.

One month old Baby boy Tomakam was born with a growth around his right eye. He was delivered by the Caring for Kiriwina Kavataria village VBA’s.

The parents are desperately in need of financial assistance to take the baby to Alotau Provincial Hospital for further review and tests before an operation is carried out.

The boy’s family needs further financial assistance for medical costs, transport costs and other associated costs.

#baby, #medical, #transport, #Caringforkiriwina #hospital #growth, #villagebirthattendants, #png, #australia, #charity, #charitysupport, #charityfundraising

Pictured: Baby boy Tomakam, a one month old, with his mother Opa and father Jack of Kavataria Village.

Thank you again UNSW’s Dr Sophia Lin and Associate Professor Holly Seale other helpers from the School of Population Health Faculty of Medicine & Health for such as successful 2022 Gateway packing event.

#UNSWMedicine, #UNSW, #CaringforKiriwina. #birthingkits, #dignitykits,  #team,  #management,  #people, #caringforkiriwina, #cleanwater,  #villagelife, #villagebirthattendants, #kiriwina, #trobriandislands, #papuanewguinea, #mothers, #mothersandbabies,  #babies,  #safebirths,  #covid,  #losuiahealthcentre, #unswgateway, #year12students, #year10students

Our next consignment of donated goods for Kiriwina is on its way. Thank you so much to our Irish supporters and Mary’s Mother’s constant supply of baby beanies :).

Other than the beanies, this delivery consists of VBA head torches, paracetamol tablets and pens and pencils for the schools.

Thank you to all our wonderful donors and supporters who have enabled this charity to continue for 10/65 years and beyond!!!

#CaringforKiriwina, #birthingkits, #caringforkiriwinavbas, #education, #kiriwinasecondaryschool, #safebirths,#dignitykits, #team, #management, #people, #caringforkiriwina, #cleanwater, #villagelife, #villagebirthattendants, #kiriwina, #trobriandislands, #papuanewguinea, #mothers, #mothersandbabies, #babies, #safebirths, #australiapngpartnership

Here are excerpts from the letter we sent to our newly appointed Foreign Minister over the weekend. Let’s get this quality aid intervention reinstated as a priority!!!

In 2018 CFK received an Australian Government Friendship Grant which funded our delivery of several midwifery education sessions on Kiriwina for the local VBAs. This was undertaken by two wonderful midwife educators from the Royal Hospital for Women, Randwick NSW (for details see this link: https://www.dfat.gov.au/sites/default/files/nsw_-_caring_for_kiriwina.png.) Our experience and feedback from these short and intensive sessions highlighted the importance of ongoing training and education for the VBA volunteers whose work in the community is literally lifesaving.

Unfortunately, COVID put a hold on the Friendship Grants and therefore the continuing of these in-country training activities over the last few years. While CFK continues its core commitment to the Kiriwina people, we are extremely aware of the critical need of trained and educated personnel overseeing midwifery and birthing support both at the local Health Clinic and in the community.

We ask if DFAT is proposing to reinstate the Friendship Grants scheme. It was an excellent mechanism for providing important aid to our closest neighbour, amongst others. Small and focused charities such as ours are well placed to provide quality overseas aid at a grass roots level to vulnerable communities, and the reinstatement of such a scheme would greatly improve the health and well being of some of our poorest neighbours, not to mention be a great thing for our countries as well.

Yours sincerely etc

Header image source: China-Solomons deal: US, Australia to boost PNG ties (smh.com.au)

#auspng, #laborgovernment, #senatorpennywong, #friendshipgrants, #dfatfriendshipgrants, #CaringforKiriwina, #birthingkits, #AustralianAid#AusSDGs @AusHumanitarian, #caringforkiriwinavbas, #safebirths, #dignitykits, #team, #management, #people, #caringforkiriwina, #cleanwater, #villagelife, #villagebirthattendants, #kiriwina, #trobriandislands, #papuanewguinea, #mothers, #mothersandbabies, #babies, #safebirths, #australiapngpartnership

Some of our incredible VBA leaders need to be recognised for their tireless and selfless work. Recently widowed head VBA, Dulcie Toposoma has been an incredibly wonderful friend to the Lawton family over the 65 years we have been working side by side with the Kiriwinan community. Here pictured with a slightly miserable baby of the week. We really miss Nelson and love you Dulcie!!!

We are forever grateful to you Dulcie, Thank you!!!

#UNSWMedicine, #UNSW, #CaringforKiriwina, #birthingkits, #caringforkiriwinavbas, #safebirths,#dignitykits, #team#management#people#caringforkiriwina#cleanwater#villagelife#villagebirthattendants#kiriwina#trobriandislands#papuanewguinea#mothers#mothersandbabies#babies#safebirths, #australiapngpartnership

Featured photo: Losuia Health Centre nurse Linnesse (centre) photographed with our brilliant midwife educators, Jacqui Andrews (left) Shea Caplice (right). CFK and the Kiriwinan’s will be forever grateful for their servant hearted generosity of spirit. This photo was taken during our 2019 training trip.

We would also like to take this opportunity to thank one of the trained midwives at Losuia HC, Bokawau who has now retired (left, next to Linnesse). During her time at the Losuia HC, Bokawau was a trusted leader with the VBAs and the community, providing valuable knowledge and experience to the VBAs, as well as encouraging mothers to give birth at the Losuia HC instead of their villages. Her retirement is a loss to the community in the area of womens’ and babies’ health that is constantly in need of support.

Above: Losuia Health Centre nurses Raymond and Linnesse. Happy International Nurses Day. Thank you for all the work you do.

#team #management #people #caringforkiriwina #cleanwater #villagelife #villagebirthattendants#kiriwina#trobriandislands #papuanewguinea #mothers #mothersandbabies #babies #safebirths #covid #internationalnursesday #internationalmidwivesday #losuiahealthcentre

Thank you to all our sponsors and donors for helping keep our Kiriwinan mothers and babies safe.

#team #management #people #caringforkiriwina #cleanwater #villagelife #villagebirthattendants#kiriwina#trobriandislands #papuanewguinea #mothers #mothersandbabies #babies #safebirths #covid

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.

Kamatokisi Kwaiveka.

#team #management #people #caringforkiriwina #cleanwater #villagelife #villagebirthattendants#kiriwina#trobriandislands #papuanewguinea #mothers #mothersandbabies #babies #safebirths #covid, #villagebirthattendants, #midwives, #charity, #donors, #sponsors, #birthregistration, #uniforms, #birthrecording