Healthcare to Save Mothers and Babies

Since the last report five new villages have been selected for the implementation of Kids for Kids' integrated programme of activities - these are Um Layouna, Amar Jaded, Hilat Kabir, Elfaki Ali and Siwailinga. These villages have a total population of 9,455 in 1,661 households who will all benefit from our programme for training village midwives to prevent mothers from dying in childbirth. Our project staff have begun the preliminary visits to the villages to explain the principles and contents of the programme. Further visits will be made in the coming weeks at which the communities will indicate their commitment to ensuring that the poorest families in the community receive the assistance they require. At these meetings the communities will also select the community members to guide and manage the various activities. This will include selecting the two women from each village to be trained as village midwives. Prompt selection of these women will enable them to participate in the next training programme for village midwives which will begin in the next few months.  Women in the villages will be eagerly anticipating the return of these women as fully trained midwives to provide them with the expert help and advice in pregnancy, child birth and child care which is currently totally lacking in the villages and which is the major cause of the very high rates of maternal mortality in the area. Because of the lack of any knowledge and help within the villages, women greatly fear childbirth. Your donations are enabling us to provide peace of mind to the women in the villages - you cannot imagine how grateful they are to have trained village midwives on hand.  Your help is making an enormous difference to the lives of these women.