Nappy recommendations an African orphanage

[PoppyJones]

Hello Everyone,

I'm currently a student and have no kids of my own so understandably I have very little knowledge on the british reusable nappy industry. :)

I've spent my last two summers working in a small orphanage in Tanzania and this year I'm hoping to return. I've raised quite a bit of money in order to buy some new nappies for the babies and toddlers as last year I noted that it was something they really needed.

I'm looking for some advice on which sort of nappies would be best to buy and was wondering if anyone may have some suggestions. I've contacted various nappy companies and asked their advice but unsurprisingly they have all advised that I need the very products that they sell. Looking for a less biased opinion I thought I could give Mumsnet a try.

I need something thats hardwearing, hand washable and preferably comes in two parts (as this will hopefully make them more sustainable and longer lasting). Idealy a wrap with some sort and nappy which fits inside - if such a thing exists. It doesn't need to be too high-tec or fancy but just simple and very durable (as these kids know how to play rough).

Thanks for any help you can give me.
Best wishes,
Poppy.

I would advise prefolds with wraps.

this system is relatively cheap, easy to get washed and dried (don't know what the weather's like in Tanzania) and easy to store.

IF you want any euc second hand ones, let me know, I've got lots of 2 parters I'd be prepared to donate.

Poppy - i have a big bag of cloth nappies and wraps. They are the motherease brand. I no longer need them and would be more than happy to donate them to a good cause such as your's. Just let me know if you do. Good luck with your quest.

coldtits-Thank you so much for your help, it's very much appreciated.

sleepyfox- Thank you so much for your reply, it's very kind of you. If you're absolutely sure you're happy to donate them then I would be more than happy to take them out to the orphanage with me. As I live, and go to uni, in Scotland then I wouldn't be able to collect them in person but if you are happy to post them then I can reimburse the cost of postage and send you a few photos of the orphanage as well. :)

spikemomma - Thank you so much for the kind message. Stupidly I hadn't refreshed the page before my last reply so I didn't get a chance to see it. It seems slightly impersonal to just repeat my reply to 'sleepyfox' but the same basically applies. If your in Scotland then I could come pick them up but if not then I am happy to reimburse the cost of postage etc. Thank you so very much for your help. :)

I'll dig them out at the weekend.

Don't worry about the cost of postage- it's for a good cause.

Does the orphanage need washable wipes too, to clean the babies' bums? I've got a few of those too.

Don't worry about the postage cost Poppy. I'm happy to cover it for your cause. I'm just really pleased they will go to somewhere that they will be appreciated and re used. Send me your details and i'll send them to you. Very best of luck; i really admire kind people like you, who are willing to give their time to make a difference. Good on you.

Can you send me your details too? The washable nappy thing never happened for us, despite some intensive shopping! Will happily donate.

Thanks everyone, you're all so kind. I thought you might like to see where you're old nappies are going to. Heres a link to a few photos which were taken last summer. I've been out to Tanzania with this group from uni twice now but this year I'm going it alone. I'll message you all my details in the next hour or so. Thanks again.

daredundee.wordpress.com/projects2011/tanzania-tosamaganga/

hi Poppy, just a thought, what are they currently using? couldn't you take the money you've raised and buy the nappies over there? you'd then be supporting the local economy as well as providing nappies.

Just looked at your link. Do you need some simple English books too- baby books with simple words? I can have a hunt around if you do.

Hi Poppy,

I have some nappies ds2 has grown out of which you can have - when re you heading out? I could send them to you anytime after April.

I have a pretty diverse selection which is pretty handy for trying things out to see what works best.

Are you interested in baby clothes too? Have quite a few going begging that you could have, some of which have actually never been used!

Hi Poppy,

I think you would be better of buying nappies in Tanzania. The money that you raise could buy nappies there and save on possible freight charges/import taxes. Also you would be limited on how many nappies that you could take in your luggage.

I have lived in Tanzania and buying nappies wasn't a problem and my son has been living there now for the last 8 years and has a small child and I know that he doesn't require nappies to take back with him when he visits here. He does take back books and craft things, creams and toys.

Also the washing they will receive in Tanzania is pretty harsh so second hand nappies wouldn't really last very well.

You are lovely and kind for caring about the orphans and hope your next trip will go well.

Hey Shallishanti, I did consider taking the money out there and I gave the whole subject a lot of thought as, you're right, it would be better to put money into the local economy. The only problem with this is although we hunted high and low last year the only things we could find were some towels and thin plastic wraps (both of these things were expensive and didn't seem to last very long). I'm hoping to find something sustainable and longer lasting so that once volunteers have left the orphanage the staff wont need to keep reburying nappy supplies only for them to be thrown away a few days later. I know putting the money into the economy would ideally be the best thing to do, but I'm hoping the money the orphanage would have used re-buying plastic nappy wraps over and over will be saved. It can then be re- invested into the economy slowly and more sustainably after the volunteers have left. If hope that makes sense.

highriggs- thanks for you're suggestion. Where did you find these nappies? I'd be really interested in buying some out there if you could point me in the right direction of where to find some cheepish and durable nappies. We looked everywhere last year and only the found towels and wraps as I'd mentioned above.

It may be better to take the money out there to buy nappies locally as that would support their economy.

My friend has been setting up this one
in a different part of Africa.

Hi Poppy I can see you've given it some thought. Regarding durability- I used to use a nappy service (so nappies reused many times and boilwashed in hospital laundry) they used 'prefolds' ie many layers of plain cotton folded together and sewn i place, combined with wraps that were fabric with a plastic layer inside. This had the advatage that nappies woud be washed at high temp, but wraps didn't need to be, in fact could usually be reused several times before washing. It may not be an issue in Tanzania, but when I was washing nappies myself I found terries dried most quickly, followed by prefolds- the 'all in one' types took ages, because of the waterproof layer.
HTH
Have you thought of asking other orphanges what they do?

You could try contacting Lollipop (www.teamlollipop.co.uk). They've just donated a load of washable nappies to an african orphanage (don't know the exact details I'm afraid). They might be able to do you a good discount? Also, don't forget to check www.usednappies.co.uk.
I would actually recommend flat terry squares as they can be folded so that they fit all ages (my 3 year old has been wearing them since birth). They also cost only £2 each, so are by far the cheapest (and you can pick up very good 2nd hand deals since they're the least popular in this country). When they're passed their wear, they can be cut up into washable wipes, or rags for cleaning, etc.
They also dry very quickly, so you need less of them (4 hours on a hot uk summer, or 24 hours inside in a freezing uk house!).

For wraps, I use motherease, but I wonder if a fleece wrap might have more longevity in it? (my 4 have lasted the equivalent of 5 years over the two kids, but this wouldn't go far with lots of kids).

Hope that helps. If you need more advice, you can also email me at [email protected]

I am wondering if a fleece wrap might be a good idea too, as then the wetness evaporates through it. If the temperature is warm then that would work quite well.