The Babies Beginning

I work in a beautiful game reserve in South Africa. I feel so truly blessed to be able to live and work in such an amazing area, I mean as I sit here I can see Wildebeest and Zebra outside. How incredible!

Living out here isn't always easy, but the one thing that always gets you through is the staff- my colleagues. We work long cycles, so we get to know one another well and become like family. Two young ladies that I work with are both pregnant and due in the same month. (Zama & Nonthando :-)

These ladies are extremely hard workers, both are due in October and work in housekeeping so they carry heavy loads and are on their feet all day - yet you hardly hear them utter a word of complaint - they are just both so excited to be having babies.

They will be going on maternity leave in October and will be gone for 4 months. During this time they can apply for UIF (unemployment fund basically) but in our country this could take up to months to even be processed, and once it is the money is hardly enough. I know many women all throughout the World have similar issues and there are most likely many ladies worse off, but this is my family and I would like to do all I can to help them in any way.

As hard as these ladies work, I know that they would appreciate even just a bar of baby soap to help them through.

Last night I wrote a list of all the necessities and this basically includes the following:

(I have rounded off the amounts)

Disposable diapers R39.99 for a pack of 25 7 packs = R279

Nappy liners R11.99 for a packet of 50 4 packs = R48

Pregnancy tablets R59.95 for 30 capsules 3 months = R180

Baby Soap R6.99 4 bars = R28

Baby cream R15.99 3 tubs = R48

Baby powder R12.99 3 bottles = R39

Bum cream R 16.95 3 tubs = R51

Facecloth R5.49 4 tubes = R22

Wetwipes R18.99 for 80 4 packs = R76

Nipple cream R39.95 2 bottles = R80

Petroleum jelly R11.99 3 tubs = R36

I have not been able to price bottles, bibs, a plastic basin for washing the baby and baby clothes, onesies but so far the total fr everything would be R887.00 each, so R1774 and my aim is to get around R1200 for each lady.

All these items will be placed in the plastic washing tub and give to them just before they leave on maternity leave.

Every single bit helps and every single bit is more appreciated that you will ever realise.

P.S. I just found out that Nonthando is expecting a Boy!!!! Eeeek so exciting!!