When students were given the opportunity to support vulnerable women across the world and incorporate fundraising, they were very happy to get to work.
International Women’s Day provided the perfect opportunity to raise awareness with cupcakes.
As part of Year 11 Service Learning at Good Shepherd, students decided to support a vision which sees all women worldwide have access to clean and safe birthing.
Students will assemble birthing kits provided through the Birthing Kit Foundation Australia (BKFA) with the support of local Zonta Club of Noosa members who are also invested in supporting this vision and educating young people about this cause. Cupcakes sold on International Women’s Day will help to fund the cost of 200 Birthing Kits at a cost of $5 per unit.
Ms Katherine Harris, Senior Teacher and coordinator of the fundraising initiative at Good Shepherd said, “The students were really keen to get on board and make a difference. These kits reduce infections at key high-risk moments of care during labour, birth and immediately post-birth for the mother, newborn and birth attendant.”
Ms Harris said “It is estimated that over 300,000 women (mostly all in developing countries) die annually in childbirth – many from preventable infections.“
BKFA establishes partnerships with approved field organisations in developing countries who receive and distribute Birthing Kits to vulnerable women to help enable a clean and safe birthing environment.
The Birthing Kits originated in Adelaide in 1999 and are an internationally accepted intervention to support a clean birth.
The students aptly selected United Nations International Women’s Day for their bake sale and, together with a kind donation from Woolworths Noosa Civic and the enthusiastic student crowd keen to purchase a delicious morning tea, sold a total of 200 cupcakes within a few minutes, raising $375 towards the cause.
