Determined to prove the need for peri-natal care for vulnerable new mothers, midwife Stephanie-Jo Malan co-founded the local charity The Village Co. Now, on the eve of the finalists in this year's SALIFE Awards, presented by Brand South Australia, being announced, we checked in with this inspiring South Australian.

Stephanie-Jo Malan says for almost her entire career as a midwife, she saw colleagues purchase nappies, personal care products and other items for new mothers and their babies, rather than have them leave the hospital without the essentials for peri-natal care.

“It wasn’t a sustainable way of meeting those needs, nor was it really allowed by the hospitals,” says Stephanie-Jo, who says she has felt “a real to call to help people” her entire life.

The new mothers were vulnerable at such an important time in their family’s lives, in financial crisis, with violent partners, homeless or simply with the odds stacked against them.

The birth of her own children, now 12 and nine, prompted Stephanie-Jo to think about the need for “a village” to support these mothers, as she had been supported.

“I found it really, really hard to separate myself and to let go at home, not really knowing how these mums were going to get sanitary pads or nappies, and thinking that there was definitely a way that we could help,” she shares.

“People telling me, ‘let another charity do it’ or ‘don’t worry about it’, really pushed me to prove them wrong, and that we can do something here and there is a gap.

“I think I was just trying to prove that there is a real need.”

That led to her co-founding The Village Co. charity in 2018 with Nicole Doak, and she is now works on it fulltime as its CEO and managing director.

Currently, The Village Co. estimates that one in four South Australian new mothers require their support, which is initially offered as a sturdy bag containing essential hygiene items for mum and bub. So, between 4000 and 5000 each year.

Looking for a firmer figure and deeper understanding of the need, both here and across Australia, they have engaged 180 Degrees Consulting to look at the gaps in care and where The Village Co. can help.

Over the last two financial years, the charity has gifted, respectively, around 900 and 1300 bags. This support is growing year-on-year and since 1 July this year, they have already distributed 710 bags. The goal is to reach 5000 mums annually by 2027.

Two weeks ago, they achieved a different, but equally important goal. In collaboration with Child and Family Health Service (CaFHS) they now have a presence across all the regional birthing services.

Stephanie-Jo was recognised for her work at the SALIFE Absolute Best Awards (now known as the SALIFE Awards) in 2022, winning the New State of Mind Award. She is also an alumnus of InDaily and CityMag’s 40 Under 40.

At 38 years of age and a single parent, the drive that propelled her to first act is still unstoppable, although she says it hasn’t been easy to give up her career as a midwife to run a charity fulltime.

Next up is the impending launch of their pilot program, The Village Co. Lounge.

“We have a QR code with each bag that mums can scan to contact us for further support,” says Stephanie-Jo. “But the plan is next year to actually introduce what we call The Village Co. Lounge, a face-to-face support service.”

Anyone who has received a bag will be invited to the fortnightly drop-in service, with a professional counsellor, lactation consultant and midwife on hand, and trained volunteers to offer emotional support and help with the baby. There’ll also be a free ‘shop’ where the mothers can stock up on essentials, like formula, nappies and sanitary pads.

“We want them to feel like they can go in, pick up what they need and not have to ask,” Stephanie-Jo says.

“That’s the real barrier that we’re finding with a lot of our mums – they don’t like asking for help, they don’t want to be seen to not be able to provide for their baby.”

She describes it as a one stop shop for mums or an alternative to a mum’s group that offers a little more support if it’s wanted.

“While we’ll have the professionals here, there’ll be no requirement that mums need to accept help – but they know it’s there, if they would like to access it.”

Understanding that the women they support are often suspicious of government services, there is a fine line to walk while offering an alternative for maternal and baby care.

“We have a strong belief in trying to get our mums to go to CaFHS for their checkups, for their babies, which are things that we aren’t really set up for.

“We really want women to understand that these government agencies aren’t there to judge or remove their babies. But we’re all really wanting to support them – and that’s going to come with lots of time and education again to bring down those walls there.”

On the horizon is also a transport service and a short-term residential stay, helping mothers settle into life with a newborn.

Winning the SALIFE Award in 2022, she says, opened doors to a “whole new group of people who were then watching what we were doing”.

“Being a small charity, it has been hard work getting our name out there and raising awareness for what we do, and for the issues that our women face,” she shares.

“The award gave us such an incredible platform, to the point of, if people Google us, it’s one of the first things that comes up. And it’s really helped propel us to get more corporate sponsorships.”

For Stephanie-Jo, the impact she is making transcends everything else. She tells the story of a mother who recently received a bag.

“She said, ‘I felt like an absolute millionaire when I received my bag, and my favourite part was the card on the outside of the bag that said, You’re stronger than you know,’” shares Stephanie-Jo.

“That meant more to me than anything.”

The finalists for this year’s SALIFE Awards, presented by Brand South Australia will be announced on Friday, October 11. The award categories include South Australian Inspiring Future Leader and SALIFE Person of the Year.  Finalists will be announced at the gala awards night on Wednesday, December 4.

Find out more about the SALIFE Awards, presented by Brand South Australia.