Could they place the Zonta emblem on a little plastic bag filled with basic medical supplies, bound for pregnant women in some of the world’s poorest communities?
At the time, the kits cost just $1 to assemble. But what they represented was far bigger.
Around 600,000 women a year were dying during childbirth, most of them in developing countries. Millions more were suffering infection, trauma and complications from births taking place without clean supplies.
For Val Sarah AM CJSJ, then President of Zonta Internatiuonal, the decision came during a coffee break conversation with fellow board members.
More than two decades later, she still remembers the day like it was yesterday.
“We discussed the power of this small pack to save the lives of mothers and their newborn babies,” Val says, pausing to reflect on a decision that would shape the trajectory of what is now a global movement.
“Because Zonta has always been focussed on women’s health and wellbeing, the board unanimously agreed to the request – and the project was underway,” she recalls.
What began as 100 birthing kits packed by the Zonta Club of Adelaide Hills for women in Papua New Guinea would eventually grow into the Birthing Kit Foundation Australia – a national charity that has now distributed more than three million Clean Birth Kits around the world.
Now, after serving as the Foundation’s first Ambassador, followed by 10 years as Patron, Val is stepping into a new role as Honorary Life Member, reflecting on a journey that has spanned decades, countries and generations of women.
Val says one of the things that has always set BKFA apart is how far the kits travel to reach women most at risk.
“Other organisations deliver supplies to major cities,” she says.
“But our kits could go by air, then truck, then motorbike, then canoe.
“And then somebody walks for days, carrying them on foot through difficult terrain, to remote communities to reach the women most in need.”
Over the years, Val has watched the work expand far beyond the kits themselves.
She recalls meeting Congolese doctor Luc Mulimbalimba, who worked with Maasai and Pygmy communities to establish midwifery clubs, birthing huts and local training programs for birth attendants.
She also reflects proudly on advances in maternal healthcare, including a Monash University-led team that developed an inhalable oxytocin to help prevent post-delivery bleeding without the need for refrigeration or injections.
Even small innovations, she says, like small solar-powered lights attached to backpacks, have had enormous impact.
“In remote villages without reliable electricity, even basic light at night can dramatically improve safety during labour and emergency response.
“But it’s not just about saving lives in that one moment,” she says.
“There’s education behind it – confidence, skills, and women helping women.”
That spirit is reflected in the Foundation’s Assembly Days – volunteer events that bring together people from schools, clubs, workplaces and local communities.
Val recalls one event coordinated by volunteer Judy Hutchison, which saw 15,000 kits packed in a single day. And at the 2024 Zonta International Convention in Brisbane, delegates from nearly 20 countries packed 2,000 kits, helping spread the program worldwide.
Among Val’s proudest memories was standing inside Government House in Adelaide last year to celebrate the Foundation’s three millionth kit.
In the room were volunteers, sponsors, supporters and three young board members helping shape BKFA’s future. Nearby stood Lorna, a 98-year-old volunteer who had dedicated years to packing kits.
“Every generation was represented,” Val says.
“And I remember thinking: this is the future.”
That future is personal, too.
Val’s daughter Olivia, now President of the Zonta Club of Sydney Breakfast and COO of MetLife Australia, has gone on to coordinate Assembly Days of her own, introducing the Foundation’s work to corporate teams across Australia.
“She’s probably been involved in more Assembly Days than I have,” Val laughs.
There’s pride in her voice when she talks about watching her daughter load boxes of kits into her car – the start of a long journey to countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia and Uganda, where something as simple as soap, gloves and a sterile blade can still mean the difference between life and death.
At 86, Val says the need for safer births remains heartbreaking.
“If the women who currently survive childbirth didn’t survive it,” she says slowly, “it would be grandmothers stepping in to raise families.”
“That’s a sobering thought.”
As BKFA enters a new chapter with Australian actor and mother-of-five Teresa Palmer appointed as a Patron, Val believes awareness of the Foundation’s work will continue to shine.
After decades of involvement with, and service to, the Foundation, her message to volunteers, sponsors and supporters remains clear:
“Keep up the good work.”