The PPSEAWA Network: Conference Connections Lead to News Coverage
Autumn Board Meeting in California
Toledo Chapter Supports Philippines Family Planning Project
The Ukrainian Museum Appreciates PPSEAWA
Thai Women Set up Watch Committee
Marcelle Tibbs Retires as Editor
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Toledo Chapter Supports Philippines Family Planning Project
On their way to the Malaysia conference last year, Toledo chapter members Fran Delamater, Lorene and Sonia Gunderson visited Bali, Indonesia.Bali Women's Health Project
A highlight of their trip to Bali was a visit with Robin Lim, author of several books on natural birthing, a volunteer midwife and master teacher of Natural Family Planning (NFP) who moved her family to the island, learned the local language and spent five years living among villagers in Nyuh Kuning, a small village in central Bali near Ubud. During her time in Indonesia, Robin delivered many babies, taught family planning and served a variety of health needs for families throughout the area. Prior to the recent collapse of the Indonesian economy, Robin also founded and raised funds to begin building a family health clinic for the region, started a pre-school and a library for village children. After their visit, Lorene commented, "Robin is like a young Mother Theresa, without the support of an organization like the Catholic Church."After many months of collective effort, the clinic will soon be complete, but because of the political unrest, Robin and her husband felt it was unsafe for their family (including 5 small children) to remain in Bali. They decided to leave the country for two years, while continuing to offer counsel and advice via email to the local Balinese women whom she trained. In the meantime, they pray for political and economic stability to return to the island.
Philippines Women's Health Project
When she left Bali, Robin accepted an offer from the Shontoug Foundation to work as a midwife NFP trainer in Baguio City (Philippines), where her grandmother had been a midwife during WWII. There, she initiated a new project "Promoting Maternal and Infant Care for Indigenous Peoples in the Cordillera Administrative Region," which (like her work in Bali) is communitybased and culturally sensitive. According to Robin, "Through this project we can begin to fill a desperate need for family planning which is culturally appropriate for this unique region."The two-phase project in the Philippines includes 1) a maternal and infant health needs assessment for the under-served indigenous peoples of the Cordillera, and 2) implementation and evaluation of a maternal and infant care pilot program.
This project will take place in two pilot areas of Benguet Province, in the Cordillera mountains of the Philippines. It will involve many existing midwives and "hilots" (traditional birth attendants) in the area. They will receive additional training where needed, a network of backup for high-risk situations will be co-created within the communities served. Natural Family Planning instructors will be trained from within the community, drawing on the existing community health volunteers, midwives, doctors and concerned clergy as well as lay people.
Because of funding shortages and delays, the urgent need for financial assistance for this project was brought to the attention of the Toledo chapter. Robin said, in accepting the donation, "your generous donation will allow us to open an office from which we may serve women in the Cordillera region."
If other chapters or individuals wish to participate in this worthy cause, please contact Fran Delamater via email at fdelama@uoft02.utoledo.edu or Ginney Schlicher at bergman@solarstop.net for details.
