GIVING birth should be a joyous occasion in any woman's life, but for new mums in war-ravaged Kosovo it can be a testing experience.

Conditions are primitive and baby clothes, toys, blankets and sanitary items are hard to come by.

But a group of Southampton women is working hard to change that - and they are appealing to the people of Hampshire for help.

Members of Business and Professional Women (BPW) Southampton have just handed over their second batch of baby boxes to the 17th Regiment at Marchwood military port, ready to be delivered to Kosovo's capital Pristina.

The seven boxes - filled with donated babygros, toys, baby-wipes, blankets, bibs, and other essential items - will be passed on to new mums throughout the country.

The charity drive all started when Southampton BPW member and trained midwife Sandra Lochhead found herself moving to Kosovo six months ago to set up midwifery schools and other teaching facilities. Southampton BPW president Bridgett Vane said: "She was teaching midwifery at King Alfred's College in Winchester and they closed the midwifery department so she was looking for something to do.

"She saw an advert about working in Kosovo and they needed people straightaway. Within three weeks she'd rented her flat and moved to Pristina.

"She wrote to us and said that the mothers and babies have absolutely nothing and if we could do anything about getting supplies out to them she'd be very grateful."

So members, together with their counterparts in the Totton BPW group, started collecting second-hand, new and home-made baby clothes and other items, and the first seven boxes were delivered in June.

Bridgett said: "It was all hugely well received because the people are poor and the conditions are extremely primitive. Sandra sent us an e-mail saying they would be glad to have some more.

"We're hoping to send out another shipment in early spring. There must be thousands of people who could donate because babies grow out of things."

If you can help, call Bridgett on 023 8076 9985.