Baby Savers as an Option for Mothers in Crisis
Donation protected
Hi,
I'm Aoife, Irish, artist, mom of three, wife to one, and friend of many;)
Every year in South Africa, thousands of newborn babies are found wrapped in plastic bags, in buckets, by roadsides, or in fields, drains, rivers, canals, medical waste bins. For every one found alive two are found dead.
In response to two baby boys found abandoned by a riverside 2 km from our home in 2019, Tevah Moshe was founded, see www.tevahmoshe.com, and forms part of the national baby saver network. Our Helderberg area have saved 12 babies to date.
Working with BabySaverSA to have savers made accessible to mothers in crisis, legislatively and practically, we this project serves to raise awareness at a community level of support services available to support a mother in crisis, reduce stigma, and to mitigate the need to abandon a baby.
With the funds, all of which will go directly to the programme, the plan is to engage local artists to 1) create visual art in public spaces, that is tailored to the local community and culture, and 2) create a travelling performance, aimed at pre teens and teens to tell the story through access to the local schools. The message behind both will be to educate about choices; abstinence /safe sexual practice / unplanned pregnancy scenarios, and options available, with the Babysaver being a last but an important choice vs abandonment.
Our hope is to pilot this project in Maccassar township which is in the Helderberg area, the home area of two babysavers. Through this initial pilot the performance piece will reach over 2,000 teens alone, and will form the toolbox for which can be taken forward for future. The visual artwork will be erected in core community and high traffic areas, such as taxi ranks, close to hospitals, library and community centres and halls.
Strand signs (https://strandsigns.co.za/) have already kindly agreed to sponsor all large scale artwork that needs printing and metal mounted. ALL funds collected will go DIRECTLY to the artists- visual artists and performance- and towards transport and materials (paint, brushes, materials, fabrics, props, etc)
Euro 1000 will help us to achieve the above, and for every Euro 200 thereafter we will reach a further school in identified areas township areas of Khayelitsha, Kayamandi, Strand, Somerset West, Langa, Cape Flats.
We know art has the power to move, to educate, address stigmas and foster cultural change. I was hoping you could partner with me to help our fellow women in need.
Thank you for your time and consideration friend,
God bless your seed.
Interested to hear more;
(does out of the box have a website)
Organizer
Aoife Kelly
Organizer