Events @ Bannockburn High 2011 - 2012

Dying For Life

Mum’s The Word For Bannockburn High School Students At ‘Dying For Life’ Global Forum A STAGGERING 1,000 women die every day due to complications in pregnancy and childbirth and students from Bannockburn High School were in Edinburgh this week to find out more about the greatest health inequity in the world today.

‘Nearly every minute, a woman dies of complications in pregnancy and childbirth,’ said ‘ Alasdair Keane (17) ‘We discovered that 99 per cent of these deaths occur in the developing world. That cannot be right. What’s more they could be prevented with basic care and help.’ Alasdair was one of 10 S6 students from Bannockburn High School at the (GSF) held at the General Assembly Hall, Edinburgh this week (Thurs 8th Sept 2011)

‘It is heart-breaking to find out that new born babies are up to 10 times less likely to survive if they have lost their mother in childbirth,’ said Clare Heggie (17), Head Girl. With the help of multi-media presentations, seminars and live music, students explored why the world is so far off-track in meeting the fifth United Nations Millennium Development Goal of reducing maternal mortality by 75 per cent and achieving universal access to reproductive health services by 2015. GSF also offered practical suggestions of how students could make a difference.

‘Having a nephew just three weeks old, highlights the problems facing young mums in other countries and this really hit home to me,’ Mrs Audrey Farley (teacher) who went on to say ‘Our students have already discussed creative ways to tell their peers and the local community about the things they’ve learned and, because the message is coming from them, it is likely to hit home much harder.’

Bannockburn High School looks forward to working as a Global Student Forum school to highlight this issue through a number of exciting events.

GSF Scotland website: www.gsfscotland.org

The mission of Global Student Forum is to enable school students to critically explore contemporary development issues and their role as global citizens. In doing so we expect there will be changes in their knowledge, attitudes and actions and that they will be empowered to work towards a more just and sustainable world for everyone.

GSF is run by Damaris Global Learning and is funded by UKaid from the Department for International Development. GSF is also supported by Vine Trust, Freedom from Fistula Foundation, Christian Aid, Restless Development and the Damaris Trust, and is currently working in partnership with the White Ribbon Alliance for Safe Motherhood to highlight the global maternal mortality crisis.