Gender Equality Afghanistan Project #8811

Million Moms Fund

by GlobalGiving

Project Report | May 16, 2012
It's Still Mother's Day

By Donna Callejon | Chief Business Officer, GlobalGiving

Mothers in Lesotho, courtesy of mothers2mothers

Mother’s Day in the U.S. was this past Sunday. The weekend was dedicated to celebrating all the amazing women in our lives, and we got flowers, went to brunch, and reveled in our families' health and well-being. Because you supported the Million Moms Challenge Fund, you know that for many mothers around the world, days like Mother's Day just don't happen. But progress is being made. Just today the UN announced that maternal mortality in developing countries is down.

So let’s take a look at how the Million Moms Challenge has been impacting mothers in the developing world.

In rural Africa, mothers walk for miles to meet with health workers who can provide them with essential health care services, including prenatal visits and vaccinations for their children. It is heartbreaking when the health workers don’t show up. In the past year, Riders for Health established a new professional driving school in Kenya. The school offers training courses that equip health workers with necessary skills in riding and driving to ensure that they have the capacity to reach more mothers, more often. When barriers due to distance and a lack of transportation are removed, health workers are mobilized to identify potential problems early and to provide women with the information and resources needed to have a healthy pregnancy.

Nokodwa lives in South Africa in a township outside Cape Town called Khayelitsha. She is HIV-positive. For Nokodwa, Mother’s Day isn’t just about flowers or candy, it’s about life—hers and her children’s. The organization mothers2mothers trains and hires mothers to be Mentor Mothers. Mentor Mothers provide knowledge, guidance, and support to HIV-positive mothers, all of which are integral to helping mothers just like Nokoda to have healthy babies and to stay alive to raise them. Nokodwa is now a Mentor Mother herself and strives to bring the gift of life and hope to other women.

Every day is Mother’s Day.

We invite you to join us in honoring the incredible moms around the world who strive selflessly to have a healthy pregnancy, a safe birth, and a baby who will survive and thrive. You can learn more about being a part of the global community of moms here!

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Mar 12, 2012
Every Day is International Women's Day

By Chrysula Winegar | Community Manager, Million Moms Challenge

Last Thursday was International Women’s Day. For two weeks each year, world leaders come together to discuss the status of women and girls around the world. On March 2nd I joined the Commision on the Status of Women conversation at the UN, in support of the UN Secretary-General’s Every Woman Every Child initiative. The session, called “Keeping Promises and Measuring Results,” focused on accountability taking responsibility and reporting back on what governments and international organizations are doing upholding their commitments to improve the health and lives of women and girls.

Speaking from the floor, World YWCA General Secretary and Commissioner Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda made an impassioned plea that women must be a driver not beneficiary of that accountability. “We are tired of dying. We are tired of burying each other on the way to the clinic,” she said, urging greater health access for rural women.

Commemorating International Women’s Day means answering that call. It means pushing for education, safe pregnancy, safe labor and delivery, and healthy babies. Every day.

As we raise our voices, we create more space for others to be heard—those who don’t have a voice. Yet.

What can you do to honor women every day? Take action.

Go to millionmomschallenge.org/action and choose an action. Join the conversation and share a post from our blog or community — stories that highlight women across the globe.

"Like" us on Facebook, and then share our page with your friends to spread the message of healthy outcomes for all mothers and babies around the world. You could post:
- Learn about the Million Moms Challenge to help women and children everywhere survive and thrive! Learn more and get involved at MillionMomsChallenge.org or "Like" them at facebook.com/millionmomschallenge
- Coming together to promote healthy mothers and babies around the world with the Million Moms Challenge — learn more about this great work MillionMomsChallenge.org or "Like" them at facebook.com/millionmomschallenge
Follow us on Twitter and tweet:
- Check out the great work of @amillionmoms to promote healthy moms and babies around the world millionmomschallenge.org
- The millionmomschallenge.org stands for healthy pregnancies, healthy births and healthy kids all around the world @amillionmoms

Because every day is International Women's Day.

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Dec 15, 2011
Don't forget to Join Diane Sawyer Tonight on ABC at 10pm ET!

By Victoria Gandy | GlobalGiving Staff Member

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