New Baby

Liam Writes:

I was at the birthing centre this morning and noticed that Mrs Ngiata (the Birth Attendant) seemed particularly tired... She then took out a baby dressed in some of the clothes the DIT group had brought out....

The child had been born, healthy and happy, last night in the "Chipitala" or hospital.... When the mother was asked the childs name the birth attendant had the Irish answer of "the child is not even out of the chipitala yet".

The birth attendant works for the local people on a voluntary basis, running not just a birthing centre for up to 10 children per month, but also two St. John's Hospital Outreach clinics and a HIV Support group, while growing maize and bananas to feed her husband family of four children.

The current "hospital" can be seen in the background. This child should be one of the last to be born there, as the outside for the new clinic have been completed. Its hoped to have it completed in Early July.

The Hospital and the midwife