Imagine...

Being a woman or girl in a dusty rural village, walking into an unlit room without access to electricity or running water. You remove all of your clothing and lie down on the cement floor as labor pains wrack your body. You prepare yourself for the most painful event of your life, one that very well might kill you.

There are no drugs to dull your pain, no gloves to protect you from germs, no instruments to monitor your baby's progress, and not a single doctor or nurse nearby. Labor will continue for hours on end, perhaps even days. This is the most natural human phenomenon in the world, yet it's absolutely terrifying. You have lost control of your body. You know of many women and infants in the village who have not survived this.

Once your baby is born she is placed on the ground off to the side while the midwife focuses on you - the one with the better chance of survival. Once you are cleaned up and sleeping she turns her attention to the baby. Hopefully the baby doesn't aspirate amniotic fluid or meconium since there is no bulb syringe to clean out her nose and throat. Hopefully she doesn't need medical attention because none is near. Hopefully she will live.

Background:

Asiri is a small rural village in Ghana, West Africa. As a U.S. Peace Corps volunteer it has been my home for two lovely years. I have spent this time falling in love with the village and giving it everything I have in order to better the lives of the people here who have become my extended family. The community and I have worked on projects in the realms of agriculture, health, education and income generation.

Our focus now is addressing the critical issues of maternal & infant health and obstetrics in the village.

Delivery by a traditional birth attendant or midwife has been the common practice here for as long as the village has existed. Though it is prevalent all over Ghana, there are many aspects of it that are potentially exceedingly damaging and life-threatening to both mother and child. Babies are often pulled out too roughly, causing life-long damage to the child’s body, and aren’t given to the mother to nurse upon delivery. Gloveless fingers inserted into the mother continuously during labour, between the midwife cooking food, caring for children and going about her daily life, readily create infection. Among countless other concerns, there is no testing for diseases, HIV/AIDS, or anything else, as there is for births in proper clinics.

The people of Asiri tried to build a maternity clinic some years ago. They built the foundation and sandcrete block walls that you see below, but then money ran out. Due to endemic poverty, drought and other factors, there are just no funds to complete it. The people have assured me time and time again that if the materials are made available, the entire community will pitch in to construct it.

Mission:

• To decrease maternal and infant mortality in Asiri
• To make the birth process in Asiri safer, more comfortable and hygienic
• To build the capacity of the local midwife and bring in a qualified doctor
• To decrease teenaged pregnancies & increase family planning
• To improve pre-natal and ante-natal care
• To provide free HIV testing and counseling for the entire village

Vision:

The people of Asiri will have a safe, comfortable, clean atmosphere full of knowledgable staff in which to deal with all aspects of delivering and caring for their children and themselves.

Approach:

• Finish building the maternity clinic
• Furnish and stock the clinic with equipment and supplies
• Train the midwife on best practices
• Teach her how to use the new equipment and supplies
• Create mother support groups
• Conduct classes for mothers and young women on nutrition, HIV/AIDS, family planning, general health and infant care

How you can help:

• Donate funds to help us meet our goal so we can build and furnish the clinic
• Donate supplies: baby blankets, newborn apparel, medical supplies etc.
  
  Send them to: 
  
  
  
  
• Spread the word! The more people who know about this cause, the more can help!

Funds will be used for:

Building materials: cement, sand, gravel, lumber, electrical wiring materials, nails, doors, windows, hinges, locks, paint, brushes, floor and wall tiles, etc (we already have roofing sheets, iron rods and part of the lumber)

Furniture: delivery beds, chairs, desks, shelves, tables, filing cabinets

Furnishings: ceiling fans, blankets, sheets, curtains, informational posters

Recording supplies: file folders, stationary, pens, record books

Medical Supplies: incubator, oxygen cylinder, drip/infusion pole, baby weighing scale, catgut, standing lamps, refrigerator for medicine, suction bulbs, stethoscope, fetoscope, gloves, surgery instruments, blood pressure cuff, hemostats, specula, forceps, needles, needle holders, catheters, rubber apron, syringes, gauze, disinfectant, episiotomy scissors, long scissors, umbilical scissors, cord clamps, etc

Our funding goal - $14,800 - is the bare bones estimate of what we will need to finish the clinic. Any additional funds will go to stocking extra or better equipment and materials for the clinic, or to training materials/sessions for the midwife and doctor.

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Perks and Partners

We are fortunate to have the generous contributions of an outstanding non-profit organization here in Ghana called Our Talking Hands and two talented individuals – Robyn Devine and Whitney Smith. They are supporting our project by hand-making (and in the case of the two ladies - donating) the lovely perks that come with this campaign, which are listed on the righthand side of this page and below.

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Robyn Devine – She Makes Hats

Knitting and donating baby hats for the newborns in Asiri

These adorable hats are being knitted as we speak by Robyn Devine. She will donate one to the Asiri clinic for a baby born there for every single $20 donated! A bit about this big-hearted and hard-working knitter...

Robyn Devine knits hats and gives them away. Her hats end up on the heads of Army veterans, brand new babies, and homeless and transient folks. Her hats have been seen all over the internet, worn by bloggers from such diverse areas as minimalism, mommy-blogging, world-traveling and scrap-booking. Robyn blogs at SheMakesHats.com.  Look for your donation hat at http://instagram.com/shemakeshats# 

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Whitney Smith – Apples and Nanas

Making and Donating Flannel Receiving Blankets for the newborns in Asiri

These precious receiving/swaddling blankets you see below are being made by Whitney Smith, mom of two lil ladies, wife, Gal Friday (during the daytime hours), lover of crafting/sewing, expensive coffee and reality TV! She will donate one blanket to the clinic's newborns for the first 20 donations of $35!

Check out her other handmade baby items through her Etsy Site: www.applesandnanas.etsy.com and Facebook: www.facebook.com/applesandnanas

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Our Talking Hands (OTH) – A Non-Profit Organization supporting the deaf in Ghana 

Providing lovely handmade crafts that will support both the clinic and their remarkable work with the deaf community in Ghana

Our Talking Hands is a non-profit organization located in Hohoe, Ghana, West Africa, that supports Ghana's deaf community by providing sustainable livelihoods through the making of gorgeous, well-made local crafts.

Their mission:

“Our Talking Hands has two primary goals: to provide our customers with unique, high quality, handmade apparel and to afford Ghana’s deaf community with sustainable livelihoods.

In Ghana, the deaf are at an economic disadvantage. Deaf people are marginalized by stigmas rooted in traditional beliefs and are often relegated to the outskirts of towns. Those lucky enough to be placed in schools are given hope, while many do not have the opportunity to attend schools and remain in their villages and left to a life of hard farming and manual labor. Many people believe that the deaf cannot learn and, therefore, there is no reason to send them to schools. Others believe that deafness is a curse, passed along as punishment for past transgressions. At Our Talking Hands, the deaf and hearing work side by side. We seek to dispel harmful myths while producing some of the finest African arts and crafts in the community.

Our Talking Hands is rooted in the deaf community, but remains open to any artists or groups that commit to working with the deaf community as educators, employers, or mentors. We value independence and wish to empower individuals, but we also strive to promote interdependence through collaboration and inclusion. Proceeds from our sales assist in the development of schools for the deaf in Ghana, with the hopes of growing our mission to include neighboring countries in West Africa. By supporting the local schools in Ghana, we hope to equip the students with the necessary skills to gain employment and become economically independent.”

For more information about Our Talking Hands, visit their website at: www.ourtalkinghands.com.

You can also find them on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/0urTalkingHands and

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ourtalkinghands.

Check out the perks that are available to you through this campaign from Our Talking Hands!

Reusable Flour Sack Shopping Bag - yours with a donation of $32:

This reusable shopping bag is made from re-purposed flour sacks, and is an excellent example of the resourcefulness we at Our Talking Hands love to encourage! This grocery tote bag is handmade by a seamstress in the small village of Kute, northeast of Hohoe in the Volta Region. This tote has a flat bottom so that more items will comfortably fit inside. It is 16" at the opening and 13" deep. The bottom is 4" x 11". The two carrying straps are 21" long; 1 3/4" wide; a comfortable length to slip over a shoulder on the way home from making your purchases. The tote bags are very light weight cotton and machine washable. Each bag has some variation in wording, but they are essentially the same. Say goodbye to plastic and paper grocery bags--recycle and re-use!!!

Proceeds go to both the maternity clinic and the development of the Volta School for the Deaf.

Ghanaian Batik Apron - yours with a donation of $40:

This apron is a unique work of art; no two aprons are alike. It is handcrafted with care by a Master Seamstress, assisting in the development of the tailors and seamstresses at the Volta School for the Deaf in Hohoe, Ghana, West Africa. This apron is made using strips of traditional African Batik. 

Proceeds go to both the maternity clinic and the development of the Volta School for the Deaf.

Batik Messenger Bag - yours with a donation of $40:

This messenger bag is handmade by a school mentor, who is assisting in the development of the tailors and seamstresses in the vocational department in Hohoe, Ghana, West Africa. It is fashioned from strips of cotton batik fabric from West Africa, fully lined with a zippered pocket and velcro flap closure. The shoulder strap is reinforced and 42" long, ample length to wear on your shoulder or across your chest. The bag is 10" wide and 12" long, just large enough to carry what you need and the perfect size for carrying a netbook computer. Each bag is a unique work of art, so they differ widely in the color and arrangement of the fabrics. Construction is identical for each bag. 

Proceeds will go to both the maternity clinic and the development of programs for the students at The Volta School for the Deaf.

Kente Messenger Bag - yours with a donation of $40:

This African Kente Cloth Tablet Messenger Bag is handmade by Vocational Students at The Volta School for the Deaf in Hohoe, Ghana, West Africa. The kente is made into this high quality messenger bag by a school mentor, who is assisting in the development of the tailors and seamstresses in the vocational department.

This messenger bag is fashioned from strips of purple, teal, yellow, pink and black kente cloth, carefully woven by students in a manner that dates back to their ancestors. Kente was originally worn only by the nobility in West Africa and is highly revered today. The bag is fully lined with a zippered pocket and velcro flap closure. The reinforced, 42" shoulder strap is long enough to wear over your shoulder or across your chest. The bag is 10" wide and 12" long, just large enough to carry what you need and the perfect size for carrying a netbook computer or an iPad Tablet Device. 

Proceeds go to both the maternity clinic and the development of the Volta School for the Deaf.

Batik Throw Pillow Cover - yours with a donation of $45:

Each pillow cover is a unique work of art, varying slightly--front and back--as they are handmade; handcrafted with care by a Master Seamstress, assisting in the development of the tailors and seamstresses at the Volta School for the Deaf in Hohoe, Ghana, West Africa. This cover is made with narrow strips of traditional African Print on one side and an African cotton batik in three shades of blue on the other. There is a zippered enclosure in which you can insert the pillow form.

Proceeds go to both the maternity clinic and the development of the Volta School for the Deaf.

Kente Table Runner - yours with a donation of $45:

These Kente tablerunners are handmade by Vocational Students at The Jamasi School for the Deaf in Jamasi, Ghana, West Africa. They are fashioned from a single 10 inch strip of kente cloth, carefully woven by students in a manner that dates back to their ancestors. Kente cloth was originally worn only by the nobility in West Africa and is highly revered today. The colors in each strip vary. Each reversible runner is 10" wide and 70 " long. The threads used are washable and should clean up nicely. I would suggest handwashing, however.

Proceeds will go to both the maternity clinic and to deaf artisans in Ghana.

Sankofa Spiral Sterling Silver Necklace- yours with a donation of $55:

This Sterling Silver Pendant Necklace is made by a local jeweler named Alex in Hohoe, Ghana, West Africa, the home of The Volta School for the Deaf. The pendant depicts the West African Adinkra symbol Sankofa which signifies the importance of returning in time to bring to the present useful past cultural values, which are needed still today. It is believed that progress is based on the right use of the positive contributions of the past. The pendant measures 1 1/8" high (including the bale) by 3/8" wide. The delicate flat long and short cable chain necklace measures 17 1/2" and has a spring ring clasp. 

Alex has offered to mentor the students in the vocational program in jewelry making. We at OTH are looking forward to forging a strong relationship with Alex to further ties between the school and the Hohoe community.

Proceeds will go to both the maternity clinic and to the development and support of programs for the students at The Volta School for the Deaf.

Adinkra Crocodile/Turtle Sterling Silver Necklace- yours with a donation of $55:

This Sterling Silver Pendant Necklace is made by a local jeweler named Alex in Hohoe, Ghana, West Africa, the home of The Volta School for the Deaf. The pendant depicts the West African Adinkra symbol of the turtle/crocodile which means "adaptability." It is another logo that is used by "Our Talking Hands." It is quite appropriate, as the deaf community must adapt in a hearing world. The pendant measures 1 1/4" high (including the bale) by 5/8" wide. The delicate flat long and short cable chain necklace measures 17 1/2" and has a spring ring clasp. 

Alex has offered to mentor the students in the vocational program in jewelry making. We at OTH are looking forward to forging a strong relationship with Alex to further ties between the school and the Hohoe community.

Proceeds will go to both the maternity clinic and to the development and support of programs for the students at The Volta School for the Deaf.

As it goes on, we will be posting photos of the students making the handmade perks for this campaign!

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Patchwork Batik blankets handmade by Asiri girls - yours with a donation of $200

As a means of income generation for the local girls and young women of Asiri, together we have created a sewing club. The girls learn quickly and do a terrific job. They will soon be learning how to make their own batik for use in their sewing projects. The first 10 people who donate $200 will receive their own twin-sized patchwork blanket made by the Asiri girls. It will arrive at your door in December of this year, just in time for Christmas! Pictures coming soon!

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Further Information & Contact

To learn more about this project please visit: 

http://changetheworldofone.com/2012/09/27/asiris-maternity-clinic/ 

http://changetheworldofone.com/about/ 

http://stayingonanewcourse.blogspot.com/2013/02/a-shift-in-focus.html

If you have questions, comments or would like more information about this project, please email me at: jasmine.staff@gmail.com  Thank you!!!

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From the people of Asiri and myself:

Thank you!!!