Start of the project

So this is what happened first: On 22nd of December 2019 the Katete Quads were successfully delivered at St Francis’ Hospital.
The four babies were delivered through Lower Segment Caesarean Section (LSCS) at 09 40hours by a team Doctors from Obstetrics and Gynaecology and Doctors from Pediatrics were on hand to assess the babies. The Doctors included volunteer Doctors from United Kingdom. The four babies were three females and one male weighing 2400g, 1800g, 1780g and 2000g.

The mother is married and has three other children. The family is involved in peasant farming with no other source of income, in other words the family has no sustainable means of providing for the children.
It is for this reason that the hospital asked to assist in a fundraiding project ‘Let the children live- PROJECT Qfour’.

The quads in special care unit

Co-ordinated fundraising effort on behalf of SFH projects

In september partners from Scotland, England and the Netherlands met up for a International Health Conference. Dr Lalick Banda was one of the guest speakers. The partners agreed to co-ordinate efforts, when and where possible, to assist the hospital with their own fundraising.

The fundraising for the quads was the first coordinated effort which started in January 2020 whereby every partner distributed news about the progress of the four in their own network based on this website messages and posts.
Hospital staff at St Francis’ fed the webmaster with photos and updates.

Meeting in Scotland

Project partners

Dr Banda at the Conference

Babies’ progress

The babies are doing well and were allowed to go home. Transport was provided, as wel as 36 tins of powdered milk. This happened beginning of February 2020.

Babies at Children’s Ward

Mother with babies at Children’s Ward

One of the four. The lovely clothes were donated by hospital staff

Project organization

In the course of 2 months the amount of 10,000 pounds was donated by various donors in England, Scotland, Guernsey, Norway, US and the Netherlands. It was decided it would be wise to appoint trustees.
Mr Andrew Cairns from England, who visits Katete on a regular basis, volunteered.
As second trustee Mr Fred Ntongwe, Hospital Administrator, shall be asked to be Mr Cairns’s Zambian counterpart. Mrs Judith Mumba may join the team. Dr Lalick Banda, Medical Superintendent of St Francis’ Hospital remains in charge.

Mr Fred Ntongwe

Mr Andrew Cairns, second from left.

Rest in Peace Tilape

After their discharge from hospital the babies developed a fever. The family went to Nyange Hospital, the nearest clinic, but unfortunately Tialpe died on the way (of sepsis as it turned out.) The trustees and Dr Banda will decide if and how to extend the support to the family and perhaps support other families who are struggling because of multiple births and/or infant health.

Babies at Children’s Ward

Mother with babies at Children’s Ward

One of the four. The lovely clothes were donated by hospital staff

Babies doing well

This is the news we received from Fred Ntongwe on April 4th:

“Despite the loss of Talipe, the other three of the babies are doing extremely well and the family is adjusting to the loss. After following up the family, we were  pleased to see the children being brought to the hospital for review last month. The family were supported with supplementary foods which included milk, beans, soya pieces and cooking oil. The other supplies included blankets, napkins, mosquito nets, washing and bathing soaps. Well-wishers from Katete and Lusaka donated assorted clothes for the babies and the parents.
Mrs. Judith Mumba was very instrumental in organizing clothes for the babies.
The hospital will be sending a team comprising a nurse, nutritionist and clinician to conduct monthly supportive visits to the family.
We are grateful to all the partners for supporting this noble cause. You have really changed the lives of these souls and the life of this family will never be same.
I have shared some moments of the children’s last visit to the hospital.”
PROJECT CLOSED

Mr Fred Ntongwe

Mr Andrew Cairns, second from left.