December 27th, 2024 Newsletter
We pulled into a gravel lot in front of an unassuming building; feet tired, foreheads sticky with sweat in the 100+ degree heat, but our hearts were ready-to-go.
This facility - the Maternity Clinic - was the second or third place we had visited in Honduras back in May. The drive was about an hour outside of the city, winding towards the rural mountains.
The team climbed out of the air-conditioned van, and was hit by the wall of heat and humidity, falling into line behind the CEPUDO representative leading us into the clinic.
CEPUDO is the organization on-the-ground in Honduras that distributes the items we send. They were great guides through the city, and connected us with many recipients of Midwest Mission gifts.
As we entered the clinic, we met the doctor in charge, a sweet and gentle woman in her mid-thirties. She warmly greeted us with excitement, and enthusiastically began showing us around the clinic – the rooms, the exam areas, the waiting area.
The most exciting thing? We saw evidence of Midwest Mission’s touch everywhere. There were Cover Them With Love Quilts on the beds awaiting expecting mothers. Layette Kits were handed out in the waiting room to women waiting for their checkups. They talked about sanitizer and cleaning products that they had graciously been able to use.
The doctor led us into an exam room, ready to show us what they were most grateful for. She reached and grabbed a bag off of the exam table, and turned to us, her eyes showing her obvious smile, even though she was wearing a mask.
The Birthing Kit.
Our team deflated.
The Birthing Kit … the Kit we had discontinued in 2024 is the Kit she is most excited about.
For some background, we discontinued the Birthing Kit after our visit to Jamaica in 2023 when we realized many of the Birthing Kits were distributed in hospitals, and the entire Kit was not useful. The Kit was created for rural medicinal use, where many modern-day medical options were not available.
Stewardship of resources is very important to us. So, we had reached out to our partner, Food For The Poor, to confirm that the entire Kit was not being used. Upon confirmation, we knew we couldn’t keep sending the Birthing Kits, and therefore wasting funds and resources that could fill actual current needs. It was a hard decision, but we knew it was the best choice.
Fast forward to our team in the crowded Hondurn exam room, all eyes locked on the hopeful doctor holding the (discontinued) Birthing Kit.
She began to share how much they value the Birthing Kits. They use them at the clinic, and midwives use them in the most rural parts of the mountains, where pregnant women cannot travel down to the clinic.
It could have been a terribly sad moment of breaking the news to her that they would no longer be receiving those Kits.
Instead, it was an opportunity.
Chantel Corrie, Midwest Mission’s executive director, asked the doctor to lay out all of the pieces of the Birthing Kit, and to tell us what was and wasn’t useful.
At first, the doctor just expressed her gratitude, a little nervous to start criticizing the people who are sending them needed items. But, Chantel convinced her that she could help us make the Kit better.
Slowly, the doctor began sharing about each piece – what was useful, what wasn’t. And we asked questions like “what would you use instead?”
By the end of the conversation, it was clear that:
A disposable scalpel was better than a razor blade
Umbilical cord clamps are better than string
Sterile, packaged gloves are safer than unpackaged gloves
Large contractor-size trash bags are more useful than plastic sheeting
It was beautiful to watch it all unfold. The doctor shared about her passion for the clinic in tears. “ “We don’t have government funding that allows us to purchase what we need,” she shared. “Those Birthing Kits are life-savers for us and the women who need them, because otherwise, we would have to turn people away.”
While there, we also met three midwives who travel hours on foot to reach women in labour, and use the Birthing Kits to deliver the babies in the most unexpected places. Each of these brave women have delivered over 800 babies.
It was that day, in the tight, very hot and humid exam room, that the new-and-improved Birthing Kit was, well, “born.”
In 2025, the Birthing Kit will launch once again. It will include:
1 Bar soap - 3-4 oz
1 Hand towel - no kitchen towels
1 Washcloth - no dishcloths
2 Contractor bags or heavy duty trash bags (2 mil+ thickness)
2 Receiving blankets - 28”x 28” to 32”x 32” - no fleece or thermal blankets
1 One-gallon resealable plastic bag
* 2 Umbilical cord clamps
* 1 Pair of sterile surgical gloves
* 1 Disposable scalpel.
*If you are making these at home, please include a $3 donation to cover the cost of these items, as they will be bought in bulk and added to the Kit at Midwest Mission.
We are very excited to offer this Kit again, and we hope you are too! The instructional video for making the Birthing Kit at home will be available early in the year.
Tax Deductible
If you haven’t satisfied your Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) for this year, time is running out. This transaction is undoubtedly important— you definitely don't want it to get lost with other year-end activities. When you do your RMD, you may want to do a QDC at the same time. The Qualified Distribution to Charity (QDC) allows you to meet your RMD and satisfy your “charitable soul.”
Plus, it's a tax break that may allow a larger return to benefit the giver!
For questions, please contact our Development Manager, Lisa Rigoni, by emailing lisa@midwestmission.org or calling 217-483-7911.