Ayrshire Materninty Unit staff members say ‘pants’ to poverty

To support International Day of the Midwife on Thursday 5 May 2016, the staff at the Ayrshire Maternity Unit (AMU) had a collection for Smalls for All, a charity that collects and distributes underwear to women and children in Africa.

Smalls for All was set up in 2010 by Maria Macnamara who discovered after volunteering in Africa that not being able to afford underwear is not only a health and hygiene problem for some communities, it can be seen as a status symbol.

There is a belief that if a woman can afford underwear, she must have someone who looks after her such as a husband, brother or father.

If she can’t afford underwear, she is on her own and seen as vulnerable.

This can also mean young girls miss out on school each month.

Angela Cunningham, Associate Nurse Director, Women & Children’s Services commented: “When we heard about the Smalls for All charity, we thought it was an incredibly worthwhile cause. We hope our contribution has done something to help women in Africa.

“We would like to thank our generous staff members and colleagues from across NHS Ayrshire & Arran who made donations. We are proud of their incredible response.”