Equipping babas born in Lockdown

During this unprecedented time, Thula Baba Project has, like so many other organisations, re-purposed itself.

With our partners at The Zoe Project, we have started an initiative to equip the mothers giving birth during the lockdown at Mowbray Maternity Hospital with a #TakeBabaHome” pack. Loss of income and lack of access to shops has meant that many carefully chosen items have remained at the lay-bye counter leaving some moms with nothing for their newest family members.

The Hospital has provided strict guidelines as to how the items are to be washed and sanitized and packed.

With the help of the Cape Town Together Community Action Networks and a growing Circle-of-Love of volunteers, we collect new, secondhand and handmade baby items. Wash, sort and sanitize these before carefully packing them into parcels that are easy for the Midwives at Mowbray to handout. 

Tracey Aiken from The Zoe Project handing over 30 packs to Sister Le Grange

It has been a humbling experience to be working with so many willing volunteers from all walks of life from all over Cape Town – and so especially gratifying to hear the feedback from Midwives and Moms.

Babies will continue to be born long after everyone is back to work and school and life returns to a new normal. 

Even so, it will be a long time before we feel ready to start encouraging mothers to attend group antenatal and childcare classes and so we are reviewing how to equip our Cape Town mothers with knowledge. Watch this space for when we launch!

The challenge will be to keep this support as part of the new normal.

Calling knitters to make warm baby jerseys

Our Winter #TakeBabaHome Packs consist of:

  • A warm fleecy Baby blanket – made from cut (75cmx90cm) and edged fleece
  • A gently used or new babygrow (sizes Newborn or 0-3)
  • A lovingly knitted Jersey, or warm top
  • A baby beanie
  • A handful of size 0 or size 1 nappies
  • A couple of Maternity Pads 
  • A toiletry set for mom consisting of a cloth, soap, toothbrush and toothpaste
  • A baby toiletries set consisting of babywash, aqueous cream and nappy cream
  • A Baby Book 
  • A snack treat for mom

Contact us if you would like to get involved in this new Circle of Love with donations, knitting or helping with the washing, sorting and packing.