NEWS!
MOMS is making a difference in Sierra Leone - and you make it possible for us to continue!
We just heard the Ministry of Health was interested in the sudden and significant improvement in maternal health in the Pellie area of the Kailahun District (click this link to our photo album of maps). After research, they concluded that MOMS TBAs are providing much better care than ever before! They are providing better care than anywhere else in the Eastern Province!
The Chief Health Officer of the Pellie clinic (shown above in the red t-shirt, with Trish Ross and Chris McManus) sent this message:
Pellie TBAs have set a record in the entire country by having excellent record of safe deliveries with out any fatality or complications which is mainly due to the excellent training of you our International Team; this excellent record attracted the special attention of the District Medical Officer (DMO) and his team in the district Headquarters of Kailahun as well as officers of the Ministry of Health and Sanitation who decided to investigate the reasons for this great success. Eventually, they concluded that the high success rate is due to the exceptional training of you [Chris McManus], Trish [Ross] and the rest of your team....
We cannot do this work without your support. This is your success, too. Thank you!
Sierra Leone, here we are!
You can check out the blog page for our current status.
We are in Sierra Leone and are very pleased with the results MOMS’ TBAs are achieving. The results are stunning.
We’re not going to teach a new group, but will conduct continuing education programs for our current groups. We will train on advanced topics, conduct some further needs assessments, teach a model of peer review, talk about the projects, and spend time with them.
Board President receives Regional Award from Soroptomists!!
The Founders Region chose Chris McManus to receive their “Making a Difference for Women” award! The El Cerrito chapter of the Soroptimists International choose Chris McManus and Trish Ross for the chapter-level award for their work with MOMS. (Only one person could be nominated for the award at the regional level.) Thank you, Soroptimists!
The potential in Sierra Leone is so great, and we’ve developed a very effective model. Now, we just need resources - volunteer teachers and the money to field them.
Do you want to be part of this success?
Can you...
- join us as a teacher? Check out our Volunteer page.
- donate? It’s tax deductible! Click the Donate button and use your PayPal account or a credit card.
- give newborn layette items, items for the TBA kits, or teaching aids? See our Support MOMS section for more information.
Chris McManus is being dressed by the Jokibu TBAs
in a shirt and hat befitting her status as an elder. 
Volunteers!
Our need for volunteers is growing quickly. Beginning January 2010, we’d like to take 4-5 volunteers along with the core team. We’d like two of these to be midwives or labor/delivery nurses.
All volunteers for teaching need proven skills in the areas they will teach and all must be effective teachers. So if you are a lactation consultant, doula, family planning counselor, or have other experience with women’s reproductive health, consider joining us. If you have knowledge of international development, we also need your expertise! And you midwives (CPM and CNM) and L&D nurses, get in touch with us!
For more info about volunteering, check out the Volunteer page.
MOMS is...
A non-profit organization whose purpose is to improve maternal/child health and maternity outcomes through education and service.
- Our focus is on women around the world who lack access to adequate maternity care.
- We train women to be community health workers and change agents, teaching them basic health and maternal-care practices.
