On Saturday, 17 September, 100 members of the public joined forces with The Grace Factory to put together 1000 of these life-changing packs.

“Motherhood can be extremely daunting, particularly in the first few months,” says Amy Westerman, founder of The Grace Factory. “Some new mothers become overwhelmed and abandon their babies, and many more struggle to cope during this stressful period.”

The Grace Factory’s primary mission is to support children’s homes by providing them with necessities like clothes, blankets, toiletries, and nappies. The non-profit currently distributes these much-needed supplies to over 80 children’s homes around Gauteng on an ongoing basis.

The organisation recently hosted a mass baby shower for 34 underprivileged mothers in Actonville, Benoni. Snacks were provided and gifts were given to each mother at the event while two guest speakers spoke about pregnancy and healthcare for babies.

The Grace Factory’s second mission is to provide once-off maternity gift packs to all new mothers in government hospitals. These packs contain some of the basics a new mother needs to get started, including clothes, nappies, and toiletries for both mother and baby.

Over the last two months, the organisation has partnered with the South African Breastmilk Reserve (SABR) to distribute 135 packs to new mothers in government clinics and hospitals, as well as the neonatal intensive care unit at Thembisa Hospital.

“We believe our partnership with the SABR will help alleviate the hopelessness felt by many new moms in government hospitals,” says Westerman. “We hope that it will also encourage moms to donate some of their breastmilk to milk banks. These are vital resources for mothers who are unable to breastfeed and for babies who have lost their mothers.”

“We’re pleased to be working with The Grace Factory,” says Stasha Jordan, breastfeeding activist and executive director of the SABR. “Anything we can do to help relieve the stress on new mothers increases the chances that their babies will be healthier and happier.”

The Grace Factory recently received a donation of R1-million worth of products from Lotto Star and 947. This has allowed them to create thousands of new packs. 

“We are thrilled with the response from the public,” says Westerman. “It’s wonderful to know that so many people care enough about this cause to spend part of their weekend volunteering with us.”

For more information, visit thegracefactory.co.za. Alternatively, connect with them on Facebook or on Twitter.