How to help...


Following is a list of items we need to support our work in Sierra Leone. You can purchase and send us these items, or donate the cash equivalent. Your gift will save lives, increase women's independence, and improve the life of an entire community.

Teaching Supplies
  • Chart pad stands with dry erase board, sturdy to withstand wind, and with adjustable legs for the dirt floors (like the Quartet Futura).
  • 4 colors of dry erase markers. We like the EXPO Click style.
  • Educational charts (talk to us about specifics).
  • Full size pelvis & baby set (Birth International #TA029).
  • Models of a pregnant woman w/fetus (Childbirth Graphics 54009).
  • Models for abdominal palpation (Childbirth Graphics 79820).
  • Models of healthy foods that are available in Salone. (Childbirth Graphics Faux Food Models)
  • A Book for Midwives, from the Hesperian Foundation.
Equipment for TBAs
  • Crank type flashlights with LEDs
  • Sterile, non-latex gloves, sizes small and medium
  • Non-sterile, non-latex gloves, sizes small and medium
  • Individually wrapped, sterile, razor blades
  • 6-1/2" curved hemostats
  • Umbilical cord tape - lots and lots! (or unwaxed dental tape)
  • Sterile gauze, 4x4"
  • Non-sterile gauze, 4x4”
  • Rolls of cotton, 1 lb
  • Large waterproof aprons or surgical gowns, reusable
  • Surgical towels (for laying out and covering supplies)
  • Small bottles of Camp Suds
  • Surgical nail brushes
  • Nail clippers with file
  • Birth bags (we have specifications for these)
Major Training Aids
  • Mannequin simulating a pregnant woman, to give experience in examining and caring for a woman in pregnancy, labor, delivery, and postpartum. (Laerdal 376-00050)
  • Baby mannequins for teaching neonatal care. (Laerdal 050012)
Mama/Baby Packets
If we have plenty of supplies, we fill a 1-gallon plastic bag with the following items:
  • 1 cute t-shirt - newborn
  • 1 “onesie” - newborn
  • 2 simple, cotton receiving blankets
  • 2 flat, cloth diapers
  • 1 crochet or knit hat - newborn
  • 1 pair socks - newborn
  • 1 travel-sized bottle of lotion
  • 1 travel-sized bottle of shampoo
  • 1 travel soap
One of the blankets is used to dry the baby at birth; the second is for wrapping the baby, after it is dressed in its new outfit. Then the mother has some simple toiletries for pampering herself.

“MOMS TBAs” take great pride in being able to supply these highly prized layettes to their clients. The TBAs also use them as bait: If a woman gets prenatal care, she gets a Mama/Baby pack. Compliance with recommended three prenatal clinic visits is skyrocketing!

Pulling it all together
We can break down costs in several ways to help you understand our needs.
  • One six-week trip including three volunteers from the US plus three local team members, costs about $22,000.
    • This is about
      • $9,000 for airfare and extra baggage,
      • $2,000 for food,
      • $2,000 for travel in country,
      • $1,000 for housing,
      • $7,000 for the Mama/Baby packets, TBA and clinic supplies, and teaching materials, and the last
      • $1,000 for supplies and miscellaneous expenses.
    • We make two trips per year, and want to increase the number of volunteers each trip to four or five. We must also increase the amount of supplies each trip as we are supported more villages.
    • So, we’re looking at about $50,000 to $60,000 for 2010’s trips.
  • Filling a Mama/Baby pack costs about $15.
    • In the areas we serve, there are about 1000 births per year, and we’d like each baby to get a pack.
    • So these total about $15,000 per year.
  • A TBA “kit” as outlined above costs about $50, and about $20 per year to restock. We have 135 MOMS’ TBAs, and plan to train about 100 per year. So, for 2009, we need about $7,500, and for 2010, we’ll need close to $10,000.
  • We pay our staff in SIerra Leone a living wage. They work hard and deserve every penny.
Given our results, we believe the return on investment is superb.