Dipes to the Hills Project

Super excited about this project to redistribute gently used cloth diapers:

Sustainable methods such as cloth diapering should not be a privilege, especially for those whose communities would benefit from it the most, but sadly it is.
The first time I hung my prefold cloth diapers to dry on the line outside my new home in the High Atlas Mountains, one of my neighbors came over asking me about them. Were they diapers? And where did I get them from? Another neighbor asked if I had any to spare. Rebuilding my diaper cache for my sixth child was a challenge here in Morocco, where many families can’t afford cloth or disposable diapers and have to use creative means to frugally diaper their babies. After much searching I only found a few flat diapers and two styles of plastic covers. I also couldn’t find any suitable fabric to make my own. Later I would discover that many of my neighbors scoop out the insides of a disposable diaper and refill the cover with rags, reusing them for as long as possible.
Without any waste disposal facilities out here in the majestic and rural mountains, we are asked to burn our trash. The first time I attempted to burn disposable diapers I was amazed to discover that they don’t. Whatever material is used to absorb and hold the liquid in these plastic diapers is extremely difficult to burn. Even when doused with gasoline only the outsides of the diapers will burn, leaving gelatinous piles of goop among the sage and juniper. Let’s pause to consider the toxicity of what does manage to burn. Now let’s think about that toxic goo slowly seeping into the ground and water supply, which is located a couple of thousand feet above a water resevoir. Many folks don’t waste time and resources trying to burn disposable diapers and instead they can be found fully intact, stuck in bramble along streams or tucked considerately under stones.

When my dear friend, and talented diaper maker, Dalecia of Love,d., suggested that we lighten the carbon footprint in this nearly pristine valley, as well as provide some materials which should not be a privilege to acquire, I thought that sounded great! And then we started calculating shipping costs and realized just how impossible it would be for my mostly self-sustaining, farming neighbors to afford these everyday materials which are so far from hand.
Dalecia and I are excited to know that sending cloth diapers to the High Atlas Mountains will be a good green initiative– the diapers will be much appreciated and well used by mamas who practice extended family living and often have multiple babies in each home.
Just $99 procures and ships a diapering kit sufficient for one family to use and reuse for a number of baby bums containing 1 wet bag, 3 diaper fasteners, 3 one size diaper covers, and 12 pre fold diapers.
Just $99 keeps 2000+ toxic diaper goo and waste from being set alight and seeping into a rural people’s water supply.

We are asking for your help just to get them here, please and thank you!

 

 

*Already nearly 300 cloth diapers have been purchased for this project along with dozens of diaper covers, enough for several families to reuse on many, many babies. Please consider helping us ship them here by donating here on the GoFund page and follow our progress here on the Love,d. facebook page. Thank you!