This year we have an exciting new twist to our Art of Caring writing competition in celebration of the theme for International Nurse Day, “Health for All.’ To reflect a truly international flavour, we have teamed up with the charity 'Nurse Reaching Out’ founded by one of our invited annual writer's competition judges,' Michelle Grainger, (Senior Lecturer at Kingston University and St George's, University of London). Michelle visited Uganda in 2007 with colleagues and was moved to do something more after seeing how pregnant women were unable to access the hospital care they needed unless they bought their own soap, string and a razor - which they couldn’t afford. NRO now provides these items in their maternity packs and the maternal death rate has fallen as a result.
NRO also joined forces with the "Fish and chip baby’ initiative - a term coined after babies born in the poorest areas of Africa were found wrapped in newspaper to keep warm. The mother’s had no clothes for their tiny newborns, leaving hospital with them still wrapped in the newspaper and with reduced hopes of survival. A knitting scheme was started, involving kind people like Theresa, from Sussex. who describes how her involvement also changed her life:
'I was going through a difficult time with the loss of my husband and that’s when my friend asked me if I would like to do this knitting. I love knitting and crocheting so it has given me a sense of purpose and satisfaction to knit the jumpers and hats for the newborn babies, using the “Fish and Chip Baby” pattern. It gives me something to do as I love helping others. I also knit shawls and blankets, some of which go to the babies in Uganda. This knitting for Uganda has led me to being commissioned by friends and relatives to knit for their babies, and I have several cardigans and jumpers on the go.I now find that without the knitting, life would be very hum-drum, just being at home or going shopping, whereas the knitting has got me through a difficult time and now I have something to look forward to in life’.
NRO sends the knitted items to Ugandan health care colleagues for those Mum’s and babies in need.
Michelle’s student nurses have also benefited by enriching their nurse training by visiting the charity in Gulu, North West Uganda, a region still recovering from the devastation of civil war 20 years ago. They recently shared what they learned on this trip with their peers, explaining how new Mothers were forced to use rags after delivery, as they had no sanitary towels or maternity knickers, posing an increased risk of infection. Thanks to the work of the charity - that is no longer the case and access to health care and maternal mortality rates are improving.
Students attending that seminar were invited to come up with one word that they felt reflected the inspirational nursing work done by “Nurses Reaching Out.’ They wrote their chosen word in wool, in their chosen language, reflecting the diversity of our students and the project - reflecting this years International Nurse Day theme: a truly inclusive “Health For All.”
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Submissions
Our invitation for this year’s competition is for writers working with written text to submit 100 words maximum, in any format (e.g. poetry/fiction/reportage etc), which must use at least one of the student's words, (see below and can be viewed HERE). The theme of the competition is ‘health for all,’ and your work should mention either knitting, or another aspect of the work of the NRO charity shown on their website.
Submissions
Our invitation for this year’s competition is for writers working with written text to submit 100 words maximum, in any format (e.g. poetry/fiction/reportage etc), which must use at least one of the student's words, (see below and can be viewed HERE). The theme of the competition is ‘health for all,’ and your work should mention either knitting, or another aspect of the work of the NRO charity shown on their website.
Send your written work in an email to collectconnect4@gmail.com by 8th May 2019
A prize of £50 will be awarded the best entry, judged by a panel including Michelle, KU nursing students and the Knitters. The written pieces will be exhibited at the Art of Caring exhibition at St George's Hospital, Tooting and at St Pancras Hospital in 2019. A selection will also appear in a limited edition chapbook.
Student's Words (language/translation/author)
1 Love (English)
2 Rudo (unknown)
3 Mommy (English)
4 Comfort (English)
5 Joy (English)
6 together (English)
7 Comfort (English) by Tayo Oke
8 LOVE (English) by Kimmone Shain
9 Bambino (Italian) baby by Jacinta Tsitsidzashe Kanengoni
10 Smiling (English)
2 Rudo (unknown)
3 Mommy (English)
4 Comfort (English)
5 Joy (English)
6 together (English)
7 Comfort (English) by Tayo Oke
8 LOVE (English) by Kimmone Shain
9 Bambino (Italian) baby by Jacinta Tsitsidzashe Kanengoni
10 Smiling (English)
11 Care (English)
12 Life (English) by Mercy Ewieke
13 help (English)
14 WARMTH (English)
15 Care (English)
16 Upendo (Kiswahili) Love by Esther Wangonde
17 Toto (unknown)
18 heart (English)
19 Sunshine (English) by James
20 Purl (English) by Karen
21 Wool (English) by Charnate Lewis
23 Cherish (English) by Zoe Hoons
24 Nurture (English) by Sarah Haines
25 Apwoyo (Acholi) Thank you by Alessandra Cerri
26 Unify (English) by Ruby Mae Harris-Stewart
27 Gift (English)
28 Hope (English)
29 Comfort (English) by Lucy Walsh
30 Bebe (French) Baby
31 newborn (English)
32 OMO (Yoruba) Child
33 Toriro (Shona/Zimbabwe) Hope by Tapiwa Sahendo
34 Pamoja (Swahili) Together by Mulumba Kapami
35 Growth (English) by Rachel Tettey
36 Love (Nepalese and Englsih)
37 IKIGAI (Japanese)
38 NIAMASTE (Nepalese) Hello
39 Lou (Ugandian) Mother by Whitney Soutier
40 Guarded (English) by Mabinty Ann-Marie Sesay
41 Embellish (English) by Fabienne Zoucouba
42 Webalenyo (Luganda) Thank you
43 (see image) (Arabic) Health
44 Kushi (Urdu) Happiness
45 Tot (English)
46 WIAOO (Nigerian) Thank you
47 Comfort (English) by Ellen Kateya
48 Aye (Yoruba) life
49 Care (English) by Paul
50 Comfort (English)
51 Hope (English)
52 Movement (English)
53 Welfare (English) by Gloria Kabati
54 Wholeness (English)
55 Caafimaad (Somali) Health by Faisa
56 Care (English)
57 Livity (Rastafarian) Everliving Living by Kryst-Ann
58 Creacion (Spanish) Creation by Michelle Moya
59 Warmth (English)
60 Santaie (Jersey-French) Health
61 Change (English)
62 (see image) (Unknown) Art and Tradition
63 (see image) (Tamil) Mum by Niruja Selvanesan
64 (see image) (Arabic) Love by Arysha Qadeer
65 Rapport (English)
66 Compassion (English) by Rachel Sullivan
67 Community (English) by Jessica Lewsey
68 Mort (French) Death by William Annis
69 Suubi (Aluganda) Hope
70 Warmth (English)
71 Gift (English)
72 Joy (English)
73 Baby (English) by Michelle
74 Mahal (Filipino) Love by Silvani Buccat
75 Eweganda (English) by Jack Sherry
76 humanity (English) by Vivien Clarke
77 Care (English)
78 Warm (English) by Deepi Jayachandran
79 Cwtch (Welsh) Hug/Cuddle by Lloyd Morgan
80 Peace (English) by Rachel Childs
81 Snug (English) by Joanne Calver
82 Joy (English) by Naomi Mills
83 Comfort (English) by Louise
84 Kindness (English) by Orlanda Swallow
85 Magic (English)
86 Comfort (English) by Kate Habers
87 Chance (English) by Louise Galley
88 Building (English)
89 Christmas (English) by Nikki Urmila
90 Love (English) by Vito Erasmo Cassandro
91 Zest (English)
92 Behandlingsret (Norwegian) The right to receive treatment by Anna Agnette Back
93 Kind (English)
94 Rodzina (Polish) Family by Bogusia Redford
95 Gift (English) by Miriam Cima
96 Umul (Somali) Noun - a woman who has recently given birth
97 Mabuhay (Filipino) Long Live by K1612863
98 Cosy (English) by Molly Rasmussen
99 Maa (Urdu) Mother
100 Nurture (English) by Fran Eaton
101 Support (English) by Raman Sharma
102 zestasiá (Greek) warmth by Erini Singk
103 Amor (Portuguese) Love by Karla Lawanda
104 Generous (English)
105 baby (English) by Louise Congress
106 Small (English)
107 Share (English) by Reema
108 Love (English) by Kelly Lleigh
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