Healthcare to Save Mothers and Babies

For our 40 trainee village midwives the end is in sight as their year long training course is almost complete. The last hurdle for them will be both theoretical and practical exams before the joy of their graduation in January 2013. And more importantly the joy of returning home after what must have seemed a very long year away from their families and friends and in many cases, their children. Our trainees are immensely dedicated and committed and their families are also incredibly supportive, caring for the children, during this extended period of absence. The women in the villages will also be acutely aware that they are only a month away from having their dream of having an experienced person on hand to help them in childbirth fulfilled. There will be immense excitement and happiness in the villages when the midwives return home. Most of us cannot begin to imagine what it must be like to have no one to give help and advice in pregnancy and childbirth and in particular no one to turn to if things go wrong. It must be particularly frightening for a new mother. So we are pleased that through the help of all our generous supporters the 40 new midwives will be able to bring peace of mind to mothers in more than 20 villages in Darfur. Their presence and their expertise will play a crucial part in reducing the numbers of women dying in childbirth.

Whilst the trainee midwives attend their final lectures and complete their exams, our Project staff are busy ordering the kits of basic equipment and drugs which the midwives will take back with them to the villages to enable them to perform their important role. The trainees will also receive funds to buy a cross bred donkey so that they are able to reach their clients speedily and a mobile phone so that they can contact the local hospital to receive additional advice in very difficult cases and to make referrals to the hospital.    

The 40 trainee midwives from the villages are continuing their year long training and the reports suggest that they are making good progress. It takes an immense amount of dedication and hard work from these young women - many of them have left young children and even babies behind in the villages in the care of relatives - such is the extent of their commitment to serve their communities and to help other women to cope with childbirth. Their services are so much needed as the maternal mortality rate in the villages is very high as at present there is no one in the villages able to detect and deal with problem pregnancies. These trainees are due to graduate in January 2013 and they and their communities must be longing for this time to come.

In the meantime the many village midwives, over 80, who have been trained by KIDS FOR KIDS over the past 10 years are continuing to provide great help to their communities. Our Programme Manager is currently in discussion with the Ministry of Health to obtain statistics on the performance of the midwives in the villages in terms of the numbers of mothers they have assisted, the number of women referred to hospital because of problem pregnancies, etc.. .