Fund Life Saving Maternal Care for Women in DRC

*This post contains potentially triggering material about sexual assault*

Greetings to all! 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 March through June, 834 women had assisted deliveries at the Wellness Clinic, with 250 being cesarean deliveries. Additionally, 13 women elected to have tubal ligations. Each of these represents a woman whose life has been touched by hope for a brighter, healthier future for herself and her family. 

This quarter, we were notified of two women who were particularly grateful for your support, as it meant the safe birth of their infants in a time of overwhelming stress and fear in their lives due to the civil unrest in DRC at this time. Twenty-four year old Masi was driven from her village because of the conflict, and living in a camp for displaced persons when she went into labor. She had to travel 77 miles to the clinic, a distance some of us would commute just to spend an afternoon with a friend, but a lengthy undertaking for a woman in labor without money. The baby was in a poor position but was born safely via cesarean section, free of charge thanks to the Maternal Health Fund and your investments.

Similarly, 17-year old Ruti's hometown was torn apart by rebels. She was raped and became pregnant, fleeing with her family to a displaced persons camp and an uncertain future. When her labor went poorly, she was brought to the clinic for a free cesarean delivery. While she has a long journey ahead, along with the rest of her people, to healing and stability, she is thankful for a healthy baby and a birth free of injury. 

We hope you are continuing to enjoy these reports every four months and, 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 our programs, please visit our website and sign up for our Constant Contact updates 1-2 times per month, or follow us on Facebook! Thank you again for your incredible generosity and support of this cause and this amazing community and clinic.

Links:

• HFOS Homepage