A teenager, Shelby Ball, from Madison, US, was touched by the sorry state of some breastfeeding mothers.
Ball, who is set to join university in 2023, was alerted of the dire situation by a missionary in Kenya. The women, who recently delivered, were reportedly struggling to feed and dress their babies.
She thus prepared a care package for the new mothers, a gesture that touched their hearts. The care packages include a blanket, washcloth, nasal aspirator, baby brush, and baby clothes.
"The missionary told me about the poverty and how new mothers in Kenya are discharged without any basic newborn necessities on the same day they give birth," Ball recounted to the Madison Record - a news outlet in the US.
"Very rewarding, we sewed 100 bags to fill and send to Kenya," she stated.
She also trained children, including four-year-olds, to sew baby clothes that were sent to aid Kenyan mothers.
With help from her family, she acquired sewing machines to implement her plan.
"Unexpectedly, one of the most rewarding parts of the project was teaching people how to use a sewing machine," she recalled.
The girls' scout further raised money by selling cookies, vegetables and organized garage sales.
Her desire to aid lactating mothers, she noted, sprung at the onset of the pandemic, but its implementation was delayed by the tough travel restrictions put in place across the globe.
Ball could not ship her car packages as she had planned and had to wait patiently for the restrictions to ease.
Interestingly, she was inspired by her experience of being born premature - 13 weeks early.
"My wish is that women who receive these bags will not only have physical items they need but also know the bags were made with kindness, love, and hope," Ball wished.
The philanthropist has volunteered in many charity events and hopes to continue impacting lives across the world.
