My goodness, what a group of concerned, empathetic people, with lots of
wonderful suggestions. However, before anybody goes crazy trying to get
donated breast milk to Azerbaijan, or even donated formula, you should know
a couple of things. Brooke and have trouble getting letters back and forth
successfully, let alone shipments of anything.
First of all, the baby orphanage which has 125 babies under 6 mos of age,
has very few workers and no resources. The volunteers come in a couple of
mornings a week. In the disability orphanage, where Brooke spends a lot of
her time, there are 2 workers for 25 disabled children. Obviously these
children have been warehoused, and workers who can't even keep a bottle
propped in a baby's mouth adequately, are not going to go out campaigning
for breast milk. Pumping would consist of hand-expression, since they
haven't a clue about breast pumps, and the poorer women in this culture may
be nursing two or three of their own. I have no idea whether the wealthy
people (and there are a lot) even breast feed their own babies. Brooke
doesn't know either, but is going to find out the customs when she gets
back.
She is also going to check to see what is in that yellow mush they feed
the babies. I asked her to tell me about some specific children she has
cared for. A 15 months old girl arrived at the orphanage at age 6 mos,
healthy and having been breast fed. She has not gained much weight since
then. One little boy, age 6 years, is dying. He no longer has the
strength to suck a bottle, and nobody has time to feed him. He is
"expendable." That is enough because I will have you all in tears if I go
on.
These children cannot wait for a politically correct solution to be devised
for feeding them. They need their next meal. So, until somebody with more
political clout than I have organizes the world better to feed our abandoned
children, I'll just do what I can to help my daughter help put something
nourishing in their mouths today, next week and the week after.......and
then go back to convincing our NNP's that breast milk really is better than
formula. In fact, breast milk as an untapped resource, has the potential to
eradicate children's hunger world wide if it could be produced and
distributed well.
The second problem is the mail system, which is practically nonexistent. To
send anything to Azerbaijan and expect it to get there, you have to have an
established route - missionary group, diplomatic pouch, etc. The streets
mostly have no names. It is possible that the International Women's
Organization in Baku could be the recipients of donated formula but we don't
know that right now. They certainly aren't ready to receive donated breast
milk from anywhere. I have no idea whether the customs people would even
allow it in without an enormous bribe.
I am eating humble pie at the moment, begging powdered formula from the reps
to send back. (ME!!! the lactation granny!) We'll see what happens. At
any rate, we have worked out a formula (NICU dietician) that is adequate and
could be made out of things they could probably get. The video of this
orphanage is being converted to the American system, and I can see it
tomorrow. I may have a better idea then, of what she is talking about.
The two senior partner's of my son-in-law's law firm visited recently, and
Brooke took them to the orphanage. As a result, they have agreed to pay all
costs for the extra baggage when Brooke and her family return to Baku in
September. We are currently loaded with about all they can carry, but
thanks to all of you who offered help and suggestions.
Deanne
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