About
Mother of Nations is an initiative that focuses on maternal and infant health. Thousands of women worldwide are experiencing premature births from preventable causes. Despite the advances in technology and medical innovations, there are still high premature births and maternal mortality rates. My own experiences with premature births, mobilized me to start this labor of love.
About
- The general idea of the project is to be an additional resource for women and pregnant moms through our workshops and the design of an early alert pregnancy wristband.
The essence of our solution is to encourage moms to book early, attend antenatal clinics on their assigned dates, and seek help immediately when they experience pain, swelling, dizziness, headaches, and visual disturbances. We have a midwife, product specialist, mechanical engineer, and software developer who advised us, adult educators, and a psychologist who are committed to making a difference in our communities. We will share as we go along on this project so that it can be shared far and wide for greater reach and impact.
The Team
My name is Helena Le Grange from Cape Town, South Africa. I've been volunteering and working in middle and low-income communities for 12 years. I founded and managed an organization where we engaged with people by making household textile items, arranged training in drywalling, cellphone repair, sewing, and hairstyling, and provided after-school activities for learners. I have training in volunteer management, adult education ,lay counselling, parenting, painting and clay sessions with children who experienced trauma, to name a few.
Caragh from The Cape Craft and Design Institute fab lab at the Waterfront is our product specialist. She assisted us from shortly after the ideation phase, with brainstorming, design, testing, and the 3D printing of the wristband for pregnant moms.
Sonja Walker is a Midwife, Lecturer, and academic at the University of Cape Town Midwifery department. She is assisting with the band, workshop, and workbook design.
Anthea is the Training Manager that is assigned to coordinate all learning activities while reaching out to stakeholders, future collaborators, and sponsors.
Fazlin in is a designer, maker, and creative in different things. She has qualifications in adult education and psychology. We are all motivated to contribute positively to the landscape of maternal and infant health.
Taskeen Ebrahim gave us advice regarding the wristband and the components needed for it.
Project Inspiration
What inspired me to develop this project, was birthed from an idea to write a book about my experiences of premature births. I wanted other women to know, what I didn't.
I read a post about the mentorship program that Critical making made available, so I applied. Being accepted into the program was a great opportunity that I am very grateful for. Critical making is creating opportunities for people across the globe who would not ordinarily be included in such a project.
This project is unique because our solution is for rural and lower-income communities who cannot afford trendy wristbands and watches. There is a need for this answer to a question, which makes it viable.
Materials
• foam rubber
- paper
- plastic holder
- Tools
- 3D machine, scissors, pencil, pen, punch
- We are waiting for the engineer to complete the alert system to detect blood pressure. We would like to add other vital signs in future.
- Challenges : There was a few, like the engineers advising us to seek funding in South Africa before we continue with the design of the band. They were reluctant to assist because they needed to find paying jobs.
- Despite this we are determined to persevere as this project has a positive impact on society as it is an answer to a crisis. It is for women, families, and communities.
- Licence: Free
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