Fund Life Saving Maternal Care for Women in DRC

The team at Hope For Our Sisters Inc., in partnership with the team at the Wellness Clinic in Goma, DR Congo is pleased to bring you our latest impact report for our project to "Fund Life-Saving Maternal Care for Women in DRC". The program's maintenance and efficacy would not be possible without each of you and your generosity.

From July through September of 2024, 336 women had assisted births at the Wellness Clinic, with 125 being cesarean births. Additionally, 7 women elected to have tubal ligations, which is an important procedure in empowering families to have control over their fertility. Each of these numbers represents a woman whose life has been touched by hope for a brighter, healthier future for herself and her family.

For this report, as we mark the fact that there have been twenty patient updates (!) over the years we have offered the opportunity to invest in this Maternal Health Fund on GlobalGiving, we wanted to go back to some basic (though brief) education on cesarean births and why they matter. According to the World Health Organization in an older but still widely referenced report (see link below), studies have shown that when a nation can achieve a cesarean birth rate of about 10-15%, there is marked downturn in maternal, neonatal, and infant mortality. Adequate cesarean birth infrastructure is suggestive of improved maternal care overall, and being able to connect women with vital surgical procedures is a life-saving measure for both moms and babies. While the WHO report does not comment specifically on maternal and neonatal morbidity, fistula is a problem that arises from prolonged labor, which is often only remedied when a cesarean birth can be provided. Ensuring that women feel safe to access quality care, regardless of their ability to pay, is offering them a lifeline to a healthy tomorrow for both themselves and their children. This work, which may seem confusing to those of us who live in high income nations where cesarean births are readily available to any woman in need, remains very much in progress in nations where there are not enough clinics and hospitals, obstetricians and surgeons, or public funds available to ensure every pregnant person receives essential services. While this may seem like an insurmountable issue, we at HFOS continue to raise awareness for efforts to train surgical staff and fund cesarean births because there is solid evidence that these measures do matter, percent by percent, and they make a difference in the lives of not only individuals but communities as a whole. 

We are committed to bringing you updates on your impact in this project every four months. As always, we welcome your feedback or suggestions to Cara, one of our Board members, at cbrooks@hopeforoursisters.org. For more regular updates on all of our programs, please visit our website and sign up for our Constant Contact updates 1-2 times per month, or follow us on Facebook (Hope For Our Sisters, Inc.) and Instagram (@brookehfos).

We cannot thank you enough for your continued support of this Maternal Health Fund, for your incredible generosity towards this cause, for the Wellness Clinic, and for the strong and resilient families of Goma. 

With Hope,

Cara Brooks

Links:

• HFOS Homepage
• WHO Report

The team at Hope For Our Sisters Inc., in partnership with the team at the Wellness Clinic in Goma, DR Congo is pleased to bring you our latest impact report for our project to "Fund Life-Saving Maternal Care for Women in DRC". This program prevents maternal health complications like fistula and obstructed labor, poor infant outcomes, and maternal and child deaths, by giving pregnant women a place to seek prenatal care and assisted deliveries without fear of being unable to pay. The program's maintenance and efficacy would not be possible without each of you and your generosity.

From January through June of 2024, 884 women had assisted births at the Wellness Clinic, with 314 being cesarean births. This has been a wonderfully fruitful year! Additionally, 8 women elected to have tubal ligations, which is an important procedure in empowering families to have control over their fertility. Each of these numbers represents a woman whose life has been touched by hope for a brighter, healthier future for herself and her family.

For this project report, we are pleased to share the stories of two women who received free cesarean assistance through the Maternal Health Fund, both of whom were in particular need. Ushma and Sarama both came to the Wellness Clinic unable to cover their own care. Ushma's marriage dissolved two months into her pregnancy, rendering her in dire financial straits. She needed to have a cesarean delivery. Thankfully, the Maternal Health Fund made it possible for her to leave the hospital without debt and with a healthy baby. Sarama's husband is a soldier, so they may have been able to afford basic maternal care, but due to a difficult delivery, she, too, required a cesarean birth. Her infant was born very ill and required an extended stay in the hospital under the care of neonatologists. The costs associated with this care were astronomical, but covered again, thanks to all of you, who made their care financially accessible. 

We are committed to bringing you updates on your impact in this project every four months. As always, we welcome your feedback or suggestions to Cara, one of our Board members, at cbrooks@hopeforoursisters.org. For more regular updates on all of our programs, please visit our website and sign up for our Constant Contact updates 1-2 times per month, or follow us on Facebook and Instagram (@brookehfos).

Thank you again for your incredible generosity and support of this cause, this clinic, and this precious community.

With Hope,

Cara Brooks

Links:

• HFOS Homepage