1. MAKING YOUR OWN TEACHING AIDS FROM LOW-COST MATERIALS
Example: Learning about childbirth
LESS APPROPRIATE
MORE APPROPRIATE
11-3
Some programs use an expensive plastic
model of a woman’s hips to teach health
workers or midwives about childbirth.
Although such models look natural and
are easy to practice with, they are not
something health workers can make in their
villages to teach local people, (photo from
Venezuela)
A surprisingly lifelike model for teaching
about childbirth can be made by cutting
and painting a cardboard box. Health
workers or midwives can make this ‘birth
box’ at almost no cost. The back flap, cut
to look like breasts, is used to teach the
importance of putting the baby to the breast
right after birth. This helps to deliver the
placenta and reduce bleeding.
STILL MORE
APPROPRIATE
In these photos, student
health workers and a
midwife act out a birth.
(Mexico)
Teaching about birth can become even more lifelike with the
use of two local resources: a student and a pair of old pants.
The student dresses like a woman about to give birth, and has
a doll ‘baby’ hidden in her clothing. The pants are cut to form
a ‘birth opening’. The student wears other pants underneath
to avoid embarrassment. If possible, sew elastic around the
opening so it will stretch.
In this way, the students can explore the hope, fear, pain, and joy of childbirth.
They learn about the mother’s feelings, as well as the mechanics of delivery. By
using real people, students learn to feel more relaxed about this natural process.
(For more ideas for learning about childbirth, see p. 22-8 and 22-9.)