Adelaide-born actress Teresa Palmer has joined the Birthing Kit Foundation Australia as a patron, lending her voice to a charity that has spent two decades working to make birth safer for women around the world.
Known to Australian audiences from Hacksaw Ridge, Warm Bodies and the television series A Discovery of Witches, Palmer is also a mother of five — and says it’s that experience that drew her to the cause.
‘As a mother of five, I know intimately just how vulnerable childbirth can be,’ she said in accepting the role. ‘I’m inspired by the way this organisation fosters both local and global community, bringing people together to pack simple kits that make a life-saving difference for mothers and babies who need them most.’
What is the Birthing Kit Foundation Australia?
The Birthing Kit Foundation Australia (BKFA) started as a grassroots volunteer effort in South Australia and has grown into one of the world’s largest distributors of clean birth kits. This year marks its 20th anniversary — a milestone that coincides with having delivered three million kits to women in more than 30 countries.
Each Clean Birth Kit contains six essential items: gloves, soap, plastic sheeting, cord ties, a blade and gauze. Simple supplies by any measure, but in remote and low-resource communities where access to even basic hygiene during childbirth can’t be guaranteed, they can be the difference between life and death.
Kits are packed by volunteers in Australia and overseas, then distributed through trusted field partners in countries including Uganda, Ethiopia and Papua New Guinea.
Why this moment matters
BKFA Co-Founder and Director Dr Julie Monis-Ivett OAM said Palmer’s support would help shine a light on the risks many women still face during childbirth.
‘Too many women still give birth without access to the most basic supplies,’ Dr Monis-Ivett said. ‘Our kits are simple, but they can mean the difference between life and death for a mother and her baby.’
For families here in Adelaide, the Foundation offers a tangible way to help — volunteer kit-packing sessions run throughout the year and are open to community groups, schools and families looking to give back in a hands-on way.
How to get involved
Whether you want to volunteer, donate or simply learn more about the Foundation’s work: bkfa.org.au