Remember a while
back I told you about my sister’s charity and how my dear friend in the
computer Bridgette decided she wanted to make a difference? Well, my sister eventually got the packages
from Bridgette (our postal system is v slow) and she was absolutely blown away.
She wrote Bridgette a really sweet
letter thanking her that I wanted to share with all of you.
Many of you asked
me afterwards how you could help and whether there was a website you could have
a look at. Unfortunately my sister does
not have a website up yet. She relies on
donations and didn’t have the funds to have a website, but that is changing soon.
Her church gave her some money and she
is using a small portion to develop a site for the charity. I will let you know when it is up.
I have also
attached some pictures of the moms and my sister. You can see the bags in some
of the shots.
____________________________________________________________________________________
30 May 2006
Dear
Bridgette
And I do
mean DEAR! Have just received your
parcel from Tertia and I am so blown away by your kindness. More than the actual gorgeous blankets &
things you have blessed me with, I am thrilled you have “caught the
vision.” When I look at your blankets I
get a lump in my throat, they are beautiful! Every so often I meet someone like you who actually gets it. This is all
about a GIFT and a celebration of a newborn with their mom.
At present
I am providing 30 gorgeous diaper bags per week which we sew. I am employing an awesome South African woman
who I pay 1 day a week to sew and she works the other day for nothing. (she lives in the township so this is major!) She gets “the vision!!!!!!”
In each bag
we put a blanket which we also sew, a vest (think u guys call it a T-shirt?),
babygro, little cardigan, woolly hat, socks, a baby product, sanitary pads for
mom and a packet of home baked cookies like crunchies or shortbread. We attach a card to the bag and twice a week
we go down to my local state hospital and spend time with each mom praying for
her and her baby and just creating some excitement when we gift them the gift.
Unfortunately
every time I go we have a stillborn baby or a woman in labor with a
stillborn. Can you imagine?! We now make sure we have a bag for her with
nothing baby on it. We pack it with
pads, shampoo, toothbrush and paste, soap & facecloth and cookies for the
mom with a sympathy card. She shares a
ward with the mothers with their newborns and my heart breaks for her. I can only hold her a while and pray for
her. It’s hard.
The
hospital is high risk so we have plenty multiples and tiny little
preemies. The preemie moms live in a
tiny room and kanga care their babes until they are big enough to go home. They sleep on sleeper couches at night. Because they are not patients, they only get
1 meal a day. I have now provided a
kettle & cups and keep a constant supply of tea and coffee, instant soup
and bread. I have also organized them
washing powder and a bucket to wash their clothing. I am trying to get them a microwave sponsored
as well as a radio/CD player. There is
so much I would like to still do for them as well as for the nurses but I am on
my way.
The nurses
don’t have a tearoom so they go sit in the loo when they need to cry and stamp
their feet and just take time out. It’s
big enough to put a chair and table in so that’s the next step along with
painting it out and curtains.
Bosom
Buddies has only been going since Feb so we have made great progress already! By next year I am hoping to do every mom
which is about 220 a month. Sourcing the
clothing is major and the mothers in my area have been rather
disappointing. I thought I would get
tons of second hand clothing but so far it’s been slow.
BUT……….. I am trusting God for provision as he has
been so faithful so far!! Once I have
everything down pat I intend to go to other areas to “sell” the idea so woman
in those communities can take care of their own state hospital.
Anyway, a
little about me……..
35 years
old
Married to Gary
Mom of
Daniel who turns 10 in July, Rebeka who turns 4 next month, and Sofia who turns
2 next month
Doula by
profession but never done a paid birth
Running
Bosom Buddies Charity
Love the
beach, my family, babies and mothers
Have always
had a heart for African woman
Have 2
bunnies and 2 rats
Have NO
dogs………they poo on my grass, sniff my groin, chew the toys, eat my kid’s food
and lick their faces with their gross saliva. (have just looked after dogs for 2 months!)
If you have
friends who have unwanted decent newborn or 1st size baby clothes
and want to bless us, please ask them to keep aside for us. I know postage is expensive so you can post
it locally to:
Gary Novitzkas
c/o Philip Antoniadis – VeriSign Inc
487 East Middlefield Road, Mountain View, CA 94043 - M/S MV6-1-2
My husband
travels to the States every quarter so he can pick it up when he is there.
If the
postage people are willing to give you a good deal for charity then my postal
address is:
Melanie
Novitzkas
PO Box
2748
Somerset
West
7129
Cape Province
SOUTH AFRICA
Thanks again. I still cannot believe someone who is so far
away and doesn’t even know these mothers is so incredibly kind and loving. I really wish you could come with me to the
hospital one day. It is so humbling and
amazing, sometimes heartbreaking and always incredible. I am privileged to be doing this.
Mel
xxxxxxxxxxx