Major Suzanne Carter has been the recipient of several recent honours culminating in the New Zealand Distinguished Service Decoration (DSD) for her work in war-torn Afghanistan.
The Waiouru Military Camp-based member of the Royal New Zealand Nursing Corps was recently married and awarded a promotion from captain to major before beingawarded the DSD in the New Year Honours for 2011.
The DSD recognises distinguished military service by regular, territorial and reserve members of the New Zealand Defence Force, including command and leadership and service in an operational environment, or in support of operations.
Major Carter - then Captain Suzanne Koia - deployed to Afghanistan in August 2009 as the nursing officer with the New Zealand Provincial Reconstruction Team. Early in her deployment she learned about the poor conditions for women in Bamyan Prison, some of whom had young babies and others who were pregnant.
She also learned about the lack of resources, such as nappies and clothing for children, who were patients or were receiving treatment at the Bamyan Provincial Hospital. She initiated a project known as "Bamyan Babies".
As a result of her fundraising activities, she was able to co-ordinate the distribution of basic needs - clothing, heating, baby food and medical care for the women in prison and their children.
She instituted a process to locally manufacture modern re-usable nappies, which also provided a business opportunity for the local women. She also arranged for the recruitment of a child health specialist at Bamyan Hospital and made arrangements for the salary of this person to be met for the first 12 months by private charitable donations.
Her efforts resulted in the Bamyan government agreeing to provide medical clinics at the prison and to consider the development of a more suitable separate women's compound within a new prison under construction.
