These mothers are building their lives, caring for their children with chronic illnesses, and providing for their families. Here’s how you can support them this Mother’s Day.
Hadijah. Photo: Alive Medical Services
Hadijah was only 23 when realized she had HIV.
Before she even experienced symptoms, she got tested.
“I was feeling fine, but for some reason, I knew I had HIV,” Hadjiah said. “When I sat down with the counselor, when they pricked me for my blood… I just knew.”
About 1.4 million HIV-positive women like Hadijah become pregnant every year. And every day, more than 1,700 infants become infected with HIV—almost all of them get infected by their mothers.
That’s why Alive Medical Services is working to end mother-to-child transmission of HIV in Uganda.
Hadijah was so worried that she would pass the virus on to her babies. But the counselors at Alive Medical Services cared for her. They encouraged her to take her medication and stay hopeful. Hadijah has three children now—and they’re all HIV negative.
Help mothers like Hadijah keep their children safe from HIV.
Photo: Juanfe Foundation
Jessica was a good student and full of joy. At 15, she got pregnant, and when her father showed his disappointment, she shut down. She started questioning her future.
A few months later, she enrolled in a job training program through the Juanfe Foundation. The training gives young mothers like Jessica the skills they need to secure decent jobs. Then, they have a better chance of making a stable income and avoiding informal work that doesn’t offer any security but poses plenty of risks.
Jessica completed training in hotel and tourism services through the program and earned a scholarship to get an administrative assistant degree.
Those qualifications kickstarted her career in the hotel industry. They helped her become the Head of Reception and Reservations at a hotel in Colombia, buy an apartment, and create the future she had been wondering about.
Help mothers like Jessica build a stable foundation for their families.
Photo: Mother's Heart
Vorleak* is from a farming family in rural Cambodia, and she helps her widowed mother support their family of ten.
One day, a stranger approached Vorleak’s family and offered her work in China as a domestic helper. She jumped at the promise of a better income—but it wasn’t what she thought. Vorleak found out that she had been sold and would be forced to marry a Chinese man like dozens of other Cambodian women trafficked to China every year.
For months, Vorleak was in domestic servitude under the close watch of her husband and his family. They controlled her movements and finances, and they banned her from communicating with her family in Cambodia. When Vorleak found out she was pregnant, she was distraught. But she made a plan to escape. Eventually, she got to an embassy where they helped her return to Cambodia.
Pregnant and ashamed to go back to her village, though, she needed support. Mother’s Heart came through for her.
The nonprofit offered counseling and home visits, regular maternity check-ups, and maternal education classes that helped her prepare for her baby and engage with others again.
When Vorleak’s family found out about her situation, they came to her aid. They brought Vorleak and her healthy, newborn baby back to their village.
*Name changed to protect her identity.
Help mothers like Vorleak through unplanned pregnancies.
Photo: Charitable Foundation Zaporuka
When the team from Charitable Foundation Zaporuka saw Andriy for the first time, he was lying motionless in his hospital bed. The 10-year-old had suffered an aneurysm rupture in his brain. His family spent all their savings on treatment—but it was only the beginning.
Andriy required special procedures and expensive antibiotics every day for two long months. Charitable Foundation Zaporuka helped provide everything the family needed. The nonprofit’s psychologist also supported Andriy’s mom who needed to be calm and a source of security for her son as he recovered from surgery.
When Andriy could hold a pencil in his hand again, he drew his safe place—it was his home. Can you imagine how happy Andriy was when the doctors signed his discharge papers? On his last day at the hospital, he danced and laughed. And his mom was elated that he could.
Help mothers like Andiry’s access life-saving care for their kids.
Photo: Hope Health Action
Baby L was born prematurely at 28 weeks and six days. During the delivery, the doctor noticed that the newborn’s chest wasn’t moving. Another doctor assessed baby L, and she was admitted to the neonatal ward for more care. Baby L had difficulty breathing and had to be treated for a serious sleep disorder.
The nurse who was on call that night said, “Baby L did good last night, but (the next) morning baby was not looking the same—the NICU staff had to work hard to gain recovery.” After close monitoring, the baby was stable in the neonatal intensive care unit.
Baby L is the third child her mom safely delivered at Hopital De La Convention Baptiste D’Haiti, which Hope Health Action supports.
As Haiti struggles with the highest rate of infant mortality in the Western Hemisphere, baby L, her siblings, and her mom are defying the odds.
Help mothers like baby L’s leave the hospital with healthy newborns.
Featured Photo: Giving Kids a Smile Like Yours In Colombia by FISULAB - CENTRO DE REHABILITACION PARA NINOS CON LABIO Y PALADAR FISURADOFind exactly what you're looking for in our Learn Library by searching for specific words or phrases related to the content you need.
