Day 2: "Distance"

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Today's theme is "distance"
because dealing with infant health for many means very long walks to a doctor or hospital

My fitness challenge: My goal is to do 3 x 30 supported pull-ups at Level 1 by 30th January 2015. And to write a poem everyday.

My progress: Today I went for a 5 km local bike ride. I have done this ride previously, but in the past I've hopped off the bike going up two steep hills. Today I challenged myself mentally to ride to the top before resting, and I did it!

Some facts about distance from hospitals and infant health in the first 30 days:

Did you know that distance from hospital is an important factor in the first 30 days in infant health? Read more about Australian Indigenous mothers and their babies. In developing countries, distance to health care may be a 50 km walk away for a pregnant woman. Not surprisingly, poorer countries have much higher risks of child death before the age of 5, that we do, here in Australia (however, in Australia, Indigenous babies have a higher mortality rate than non-indigenous people). World Vision is one of many NGOs trying to achieve the WHO Millennium 4 goals. For example, it is promoting an in-community midwife education program to reduce the problems of the tyranny of distance, and educate women to achieve better maternal and infant health within communities. .

Today's poem:

Distance

your distances are not like mine.
there is no equity between us:
                            I have clean water; you have mud.
Oh, bridge: be short.
Midwife, lean into her heart.


Merilyn Childs 2/01/2014