MOMS Work in Sierra Leone
Midwives on Missions of Service
Sierra Leone's NGOs
This man works for a
national NGO to help his
people.
This man works for a
national NGO to help his
people.
Our mission is to improve maternal and infant health and maternity outcomes. To do
this, we created a 4-week course that provides the learners with the fundamental
knowledge and skill they need to be effective Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs).
One of the modules may be a bit unexpected: Organizing for Change.
Organizing for Change
The purpose of this module is to galvanize the women to think creatively about how
to make a difference in their villages. They enter the course planning to learn about
attending births. But this is only one part of the solution to the world's worst
maternal and infant mortality rates.
We saw cases where a skilled attendant at delivery was good. What would have been
better is some prenatal care, which would have included identifying problems like
malnutrition, stemming in part from family issues.
A woman who is rejected by her husband, mother-in-law, or co-wives is likely to
suffer from problems ranging from violence to being the last in the family's "food
chain." For the TBAs to be aware of risks like these and to successfully intervene is
vital to improving maternal outcomes.
In this module, we create a forum for discussing problems like these and possible
solutions. We suggest they find ways to work together to influence the leadership
and families to provide more effectively for women who struggle most.
The women in the Pellie session created three groups (Sentia Clubs), based on
geography, to take action. Each group has a structure, and requires dues of its
members. With this, they are buying seeds to plant a garden, which will provide food
for hungry mothers. They have talked to the village elders about these issues, and
set expectations that the Santia Clubs will take action to serve their communities.
The TBAs pay about 60 cents per month in dues. This represents a hardship for
many of them. These women are not compensated for attending births. And when
they go to a woman in labor, that means that their work on the farm will not get
done. Their household will suffer because she is gone. The TBAs are respected in
their communities, and making the commitment to be a MOMS-trained TBA can lead
to hardship.
this, we created a 4-week course that provides the learners with the fundamental
knowledge and skill they need to be effective Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs).
One of the modules may be a bit unexpected: Organizing for Change.
Organizing for Change
The purpose of this module is to galvanize the women to think creatively about how
to make a difference in their villages. They enter the course planning to learn about
attending births. But this is only one part of the solution to the world's worst
maternal and infant mortality rates.
We saw cases where a skilled attendant at delivery was good. What would have been
better is some prenatal care, which would have included identifying problems like
malnutrition, stemming in part from family issues.
A woman who is rejected by her husband, mother-in-law, or co-wives is likely to
suffer from problems ranging from violence to being the last in the family's "food
chain." For the TBAs to be aware of risks like these and to successfully intervene is
vital to improving maternal outcomes.
In this module, we create a forum for discussing problems like these and possible
solutions. We suggest they find ways to work together to influence the leadership
and families to provide more effectively for women who struggle most.
The women in the Pellie session created three groups (Sentia Clubs), based on
geography, to take action. Each group has a structure, and requires dues of its
members. With this, they are buying seeds to plant a garden, which will provide food
for hungry mothers. They have talked to the village elders about these issues, and
set expectations that the Santia Clubs will take action to serve their communities.
The TBAs pay about 60 cents per month in dues. This represents a hardship for
many of them. These women are not compensated for attending births. And when
they go to a woman in labor, that means that their work on the farm will not get
done. Their household will suffer because she is gone. The TBAs are respected in
their communities, and making the commitment to be a MOMS-trained TBA can lead
to hardship.
To read our "Dispatches" about these experiences, click here.
If you want to learn more or help these women, use our Contact Us page, or email us
at info@ globalmidwives.org.
If you want to learn more or help these women, use our Contact Us page, or email us
at info@ globalmidwives.org.
 | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  |
Diamond Fields
Workers find diamonds
in shallow river beds
Workers find diamonds
in shallow river beds
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
| |
 |
Chris and Jitta
On the bus between
Kenema and Freetown.
On the bus between
Kenema and Freetown.
