Meet five unstoppable moms in different corners of the world who illustrate the universal power of motherhood.
They live far apart—in Guatemala, Myanmar, Nepal, Russia, and Uganda—but share a common strength, overcoming incredible obstacles to make the world a better place than they found it. These inspiring mothers will leave you in awe and prove the universal power of motherhood!
Five years ago, Mary’s doctor gave her shocking news: She was HIV positive.
“I was in such a bad state,” Mary said. “I just came into the clinic to get checked for a fever, and then I found out I had HIV.”
Mary found out her husband had cheated on her with an HIV positive woman. Within months of her diagnosis, Mary’s husband left her, and she learned she was pregnant with her third child. She made an appointment with Alive Medical Services as soon as she found out she was expecting. The nonprofit provides comprehensive services to people in Uganda who have HIV. Mary stayed strong, going to the AMS clinic frequently for medicine and check ups. Mary’s daughter, Lillian, was born HIV negative.
Today, Mary and Lillian are in good health.
“At first, I was so worried about having HIV,” Mary said. “But today, I’m okay. I’ve accepted it. And I’m well aware that if I take my medication well, I’ll continue to live.”
Donate to AMS in honor of a strong mom in your life.
After a 7.8-magnitude earthquake hit Nepal, Sanu’s future was unclear. The widow makes a living as a farmer. Her crops were destroyed.
On this day, she smiles as she gives visitors from GlobalGiving a tour of her thriving garden in Bhaktapur on the edge of Kathmandu Valley. Her garden is filled with corn, tomatoes, and other lucrative vegetables, and her daughter-in-law works a few feet away, collecting bundles of spinach.
Sanu received an assortment of vegetable seeds from a GlobalGiving partner, Water, Agroforestry, Nutrition and Development Foundation (WAND).
The corn in her backyard now towers above her head. “I am happy now,” she told GlobalGiving.
Sanu said her family makes up to $15 a day from farming—enough to send her grandchildren to a private school.
Donate to WAND in honor of a strong mom in your life.
Vika is a teen mom who lives in Russia. After a rough start in life, with no strong mother figure in her life, she found someone who really cares about her.
She met Elena, her mentor and friend at a picnic hosted by KidSave International. The nonprofit connects girls who grew up without mothers (but are now mothers themselves) with positive mentors.
Vika says that Elena has shown her what it means to be respected and treated as an adult and a responsible person. She says she is a more trusting and stable person thanks to their relationship.
Elena, an experienced consultant with Mary Kay, is helping Vika develop her skills as a beauty consultant. Vika also attends nursing classes and participates in a women’s club that Elena started—giving her more positive connections with caring adults.
Donate to KidSave International in honor of a strong mom in your life.
Enma, 40, gives contraceptive counseling to women in an underserved, rural area of Guatemala where farming is the main source of income. She is a volunteer with the nonprofit WINGS.
“Family planning means everything to me. It helps us in every single aspect of life and thanks to it, I have a better life. My siblings have a better life. My community has a better life. Everyone is better,” Enma said.
As a mother herself, Enma understands how health decisions can impact a woman’s life. Enma had her tubes tied after giving birth to her third child. “It was the best decision of my life. I feel that I still have a lot of energy, and I can fully enjoy my children, who are already teenagers!”
Emma’s youngest is now 16. She is proud that she talks about reproductive health with all of her children. She also recognizes that working with WINGS means helping women navigate sensitive moments.
“Every patient reacts differently to each contraceptive method, and sometimes they are scared, but I always try to calm them.”
Donate to WINGS in honor of a strong mom in your life.
In the conflict-ridden Karen State, being a mom comes with many challenges, including minimal resources and misinformation. The area, in southern Myanmar, has one of the highest rates of maternal and newborn mortality in the world.
Refugees International Japan is raising funds on GlobalGiving to give moms in Myanmar more resources.
In rural areas, some moms are raised to believe that eggs will make babies in utero too fat to easily deliver, or certain wild or farmed vegetables will make babies sick or weak. Refugees International Japan gives moms baby kits stuffed with cloth, soap, and other essentials. The nonprofit also runs food programs and baby care classes in rural Myanmar.
Here’s what one mom had to say about the programs:
“While we are displaced, we don’t have enough clothes or food or shelter. We have to move from here to there. In this time we received a gift, so it made us feel so happy. Even if we received only a piece of cloth and a bar of soap, I feel so happy, and I feel like somebody cares for me and is willing to help me, even to go through all the obstacles to get to me. So I felt very encouraged.”
Donate to Refugees International in honor of a strong mom in your life.
Don’t forget! Mother’s Day is Sunday, May 14.
There’s no better time to make a gift in honor of an inspiring mother in your life!
Featured Photo: Help Families End Domestic Violence in India by My Choices Foundation
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