Disability-tailored maternity package

One of the work streams for the EU-SPS/ Finland in Kyrgyzstan was supporting the design, manufacturing and action-research testing of a disability-tailored maternity package to families with new-borns with disabilities, or parents with disabilities. The labour input for the production of the package, and the items contained therein, came from a group of women with disabilities. EU-SPS was thus also promoting employment and in-come generation opportunities for low-income women with disabilities. 

These disability-specific 100 maternity packages were distributed to families with either a new born baby with a disability or with a mother with disability. The purpose is to test the productions and acceptability of a ‘Baby Box’ tailored to the needs of Kyrgyz families with disabled babies – or disabled parents. 

The baby box pilot work was completed in 2018. The Kyrgyz Ministry counterpart has expressed interest to consider how to replicate the baby box, if successful, to a larger population from the national budget. EU-SPS has also discussed with GIZ the possibility of connecting the disability specific maternity package work with the strong mother and child work stream GIZ has currently in Kyrgyzstan.

Photo by Gulmira Kazakunova.