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Why Nappies?
Did you know that in Russia terry towelling nappies and nappy covers (pilchers) are unavailable to buy? Most Russian mothers use old rags around their babies’ bottoms, and cover the nappies with old plastic bags to make them more waterproof. These are hardly suitable for the job.
Unfortunately disposable nappies have just become available, but with many families wondering where their next meal will come from, hardly anyone can afford to use disposables full time. Sadly, many poor mothers are buying these disposables anyway, but as they cannot afford to throw them away, they simply scrape the faeces off the nappy and re-use them. Eventually, they remove the whole inner of the nappy and fasten the outer on with scotch tape. These are re-used time and again.
Naturally with this occuring, most babies have terrible nappy rash. While a little rash might not sound too bad, many of the babies are suffering from HIV and hepatitis, so they are severely immunocompromised. In this situation, what started out as a little rash can quickly take hold and become a full blown infection, ulcer or abcess.
Imagine how much it would hurt a mother’s spirit to see her baby in this condition. Imagine how the orphanage workers feel with children suffering like this in their care.
This is why I feel compelled to help. We need to provide these mothers with quality, reusable, washable nappies and accessories so that they can provide their children with safer hygeine solutions and to help prevent practices that are encouraging nappy rash and disease. Will you help me?
My story
Hi, my name is Nicole Hargreaves. I’m a stay at home mum who has a passion for philanthropy, child welfare and for cloth nappies, having just had my beautiful clothie baby seven months ago.
There is a lady in my church who has just returned from 12 years working with orphans in Russia. The other day I asked her, out of interest, what women in Russia use for nappies on their babies. I was terribly saddened by her response - that they do not have access to any real nappies, they use rags, or worse, use and re-use disposable nappies. The results for the poor babies are simply heartbreaking. I cannot imagine how I would feel, as a mother, if I was this desperately poor. I decided to do something to help.
Nappies for Russia is what we have called our appeal for your help to provide free Nappy Packages for mothers and babies in desperate need in Russia. I asked how many babies my friend would know of who were in this position. She estimated 100 to 120! I have since heard that she has contacts in many orphanages where the babies are dying of AIDS, and she would also like to send some nappy packages there to help improve the quality of life of these little ones who haven’t much time left. It’s hard to know where to start - so we will set our initial goal at helping 100 babies and then see where the journey takes us!
I am voluntarily coordinating this as a non-profit venture. I hope that soon it will not be ‘Nicole’s thing’ but something that a larger community of baby loving people can own as our own little project to help bring a bit of light to the world of 100 Russian babies.
Our Goal
Our goal is to send a nappy package to each of 100 babies living in orphanages or in poor families in Russia. The packages will consist of:
- 1 dozen cloth nappies
- 2 nappy covers
- 1 tube/tub of nappy rash ointment/powder
- 2 snappi nappy fasteners
- 12 re-usable nappy liners
- at least one “special nappy” to send some love to the mothers and babies over there
- Instructions, in Russian, on how to use the nappy products and how to prevent nappy rash.
The packages will be sent with some incidental nappy related items such as knitting wool and patterns for sewing woolen nappy covers. The items will be sent to Russia and distributed to orphanages and to individual families with babies in need.
Please Help!
Having received almost everything we need for the project, we are now urgently seeking donations of cash to fund postage costs. Please click on the links above for more information on how to donate.
Watch our progress!
Please check out our “progress” page, as well as our blog, for updates on how we are going with the great nappy collection!
Don’t forget to check out our auction items - sold to raise postage money - on www.minicuteture.com.au