10Jun2023

SCM Medical Missions

Contact Us

3806 Whitman Ave N
Seattle WA 98103

+1 206-545-7307

Sign up here to get the latest news on our efforts and how you can help, too!


By Submitting this form, you are agreeing to receive emails from SCM Medical Missions. Office: 3806 Whitman Ave N, Seattle, WA 98103. Phone: 206-545-7307. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Tag: Baby Boxes

Humanitarian AidJordanRefugeesUNHCRWomen & Children

SCM Donations to UNHCR – Zaatari

20160918_143715

UNHCR truck loaded with supplies from our warehouse in Madaba

img_20160918_140921Over the last few years, our warehouse in Jordan has been sending items we have shipped from the US to Jordan to the UNHCR at Zaatari Refugee Camp. Attached here is the most recent report back from the UNHCR representative that shows the distribution from the September donation.

Thank you to everyone who has sent clothing, baby supplies for the baby boxes, blankets, donated cash, and helped load containers this year. Without you, we could not have done this. The need is still there, so please lets keep it going!

 

[pdf-embedder url=”https://www.scmmedicalmissions.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/SCM-Donation-002.pdf”]

 

Humanitarian AidJordanRefugeesSyriaUNHCRWomen & Children

#BabyBoxes Delivered to #Zaatari Families

20160919_024853

Zaatari Camp from Syria Tel – so named because it is the highest point in the camp and sometimes the people there can get Syria Tel cell phone service on their mobiles.

Today we went to Zaatari Refugee Camp to distribute some of the Baby Boxes to new mothers and also visit some of their other programs. It was a really good day, and we saw a lot of progress at Zaatari since my last visit in late 2014.

There are now about 79,000 people living there, and they are doing their best to get on with life. Schools are in session, shops have sprung up everywhere, and we even heard talk of traffic lights being set up somewhere in the near future! Zaatari is becoming more and more a city with all kinds of services available to the people who call it home.

20160919_022341

Baby Boxes given out to new mothers at Zaatari

Our first stop was to show the staff who will be in charge of distributing the rest of the baby boxes how to assemble them, and the contents that go with them. Then there were 10 families with new born babies- anywhere from just a few days to a few weeks old. They were very appreciative of the boxes and happy to get the supplies and beds for their babies.

I had also brought with me information and a pattern on for washable reusable feminine hygiene pads, and explained them to the coordinator, who was very excited to get the information. She said they just started the process right now of trying to get their sewing groups to make these and developing a pattern that they can use. Talk about timing! I left a finished kit with them with all the instructions and the the pattern kit so they can see how they are made and the materials used. I hope it works out for them!

20160919_030604

This is a handwoven rug, made with recycled fabric, and the pictures above it are women holding signs with empowering statements on them.

After this, we were given a tour of the camp and visited the women’s empowerment and training center. Here they are making handcrafts such as rugs and other woven items using recycled materials, jewelry, and mosaics. The center also works to educate and lift women and girls up and give them a sense of self reliance. They also work on training to inform men to treat women equally and with respect, and for women to demand equal treatment and respect. It was very moving to see all they are doing there.

20160919_092145The women are able to make money to help support their families. I purchased a few pairs of earrings that will be available for sale through the SCM store to support the women’s efforts. These particular pieces are made with date seeds and are very unique.

We also saw the sewing class, where they were working on patterns and how to make them. The sewing machines that were donated to SCM will go to these classes, but at the time we were there they were still in the UN warehouse where they will be given to the classes in a few days. They have been very busy lately so I am glad we got to distribute what we did! They are gearing up for the winterization of the camp and the people, so the warehouse is prioritizing that right now.

And lastly, thank you to our Regional Director Mr. Basel Sawalha, and Mr. Ala Almadani, Field Safety Advisor UNHCR Jordan, for arranging the distribution and visit for us!

20160919_043024

L-R Brenda Pierce, Basel Sawalha, Ala Almadani, Viola Sawalha. Not pictured is SCM volunteer Manal Shawish who took the photo and accompanied us on the visit and helped with the distribution. 

Humanitarian AidJordanRefugeesUNHCRWomen & Children

#BabyBox Project Report #SCMHelp4Syrians #UNHCR @TheBabyBoxCo

20160328_144015

Bed Boxes from The Baby Box Company have a mattress, waterproof cover and sheet for the baby to sleep on. We fill the boxes with the needed supplies from your donations.

The staff of the UNHCR in Jordan was kind enough to send us this report on the distribution of the baby kits we sent last fall. They are eagerly awaiting our next shipment, which should be getting ready for distribution just about now. In June we sent 100 Bed Boxes and 200 bags of supplies. And there is another shipment that will be departing Seattle for Jordan next month (September) that will contain another 100 Bed Boxes and the bags of supplies to go with them.

Thank you to everyone who has donated to stock the baby kits! Our group of Ravelry knitters and sewers have been really hard at work and have sent some really beautiful items.

And a big thank you to the Baby Box Company that we worked with to get our 200 Bed Boxes for this year – they donated half of the boxes to SCM to help us reach our goal!

We need a few more items to fill the boxes, and as you can see, they are asking for cool weather supplies. Please be sure to visit our Amazon wish list for needed items. This is an ongoing need to provide support for the new mothers and and their babies.

Thank you!!


UNHCR Baby Kits Briefed Report:

  • In winter and specifically in December 2015, UNHCR have received CRI items which included different types of baby kits and clothes needed by the new baby born or by the women who had delivered. This was in response to gap on baby clothes that was so much needed for mothers.
  • The boxes were received and distributed to the Community Services offices to both (Zatari Camp office and Urban office). Urban office took around 10 boxes in which each box contains 4 bags of baby kits to be given to the persons of concerns while the rest of the boxes were distributed to refugees in the Camp.
  • Urban office covered all villages of Mafraq district in the urban, while the Zatari Camp office  covered 12 Districts within the camp. Therefore; Refugees from different locations (Villages and poor areas) in Urban and Camp were able to obtain these baby kits, weather they got it from our office directly or in some cases we had to reach their homes and deliver them the kits they needed.
  • Kits were given to different vulnerable categories of Refugees who were unable to afford the baby clothes cost, The clothes were distributed to either pregnant women who are on their last month to deliver (Pregnant with one baby or twins), or to cases of Women who have already given birth and their baby’s ages around 1- 3 weeks. These Categories contained;
  • Cases with Female House Hold who with no male support or no income generation,
  • Households with children disabled, household that are unable to provide the baby,
  • Cases with Elderly who are caregiver to new baby born (for example; their grandsons and granddaughters),
  • Cases contain a household with medical condition that is also unable to provide clothes for their new baby born.
  • Cases with other different vulnerability concerns.
  • Number of Cases were given Baby kits in Mafraq Office were around 45 Cases, while in Zatari Camp office the 135 of cases due to the high number in the camp and the vulnerability of the HH cases in need to new baby born cloths was high. They were distributed through UNHCR Helpdesk or through home visits to specific cases who are in need for it.
  • All Bags were distributed during the months December 2015 Until March 2016 (winter Season), many Refugees have returned to us asking for these baby cloths and they were around 10 cases in Urban but unfortunately we were ran out of them all and in both offices.
  • Cases who have received these baby kits were very happy, they totally benefited of them as it was winter and they really needed warm clothes for these poor new babies, women were thankful and informed other pregnant women about these kits, and that’s how we were able to distribute them all during the above mentioned dates and among poor areas. If there will be another of baby kits boxes to be deliver again for the refugees we would love and kindly wonder if these clothes to fit the Autumn Season, if available J. The quality of cloths was good.
  • We wanted to have some pictures with these wonderful cases but most of them were refusing for privacy, though; there were a woman who had tiny beautiful twins whom she accept to take a photo 🙂

2015BabyKits2

2015BabyKits1

Finally, we as UNHCR team and Refugees would like to thank you so much for these baby kits that put a big smile on refugees faces and make them realize there are people from different places; close and away places, within the same country or from countries on the other side of this planet who also are thinking of them and looking forward to serve them within these hard times as this shows our humanity side of our personalities as good human.

Thank You for everyone’s Effort and nice gifts 🙂