Stop South Sudanese Moms from Dying in Childbirth

Why do so many women still die in pregnancy or childbirth?

Every minute, at least one woman dies from complications related to pregnancy or childbirth – that means 529 000 women a year. In addition, for every woman who dies in childbirth, around 20 more suffer injury, infection or disease – approximately 10 million women each year. (WHO).

In Onura village there are direct two factors that accounts for maternal deaths: lack of “childbirth delivery bed”, and delivery kits. These are fundamentally responsible.

Women need not die in childbirth. We must give a young woman the information and support she needs to control her reproductive health, help her through a pregnancy, and care for her and her newborn well into childhood. The vast majority of maternal deaths could be prevented if women in Onura village have access to childbirth delivery bed, skilled care during pregnancy, and after first month after delivery.

Jennifer Leo has given birth to a baby after a long labour. With your help Hope Ofiriha provided the syringes, sterile gowns, gloves, and 2 maternity pads that assisted in the delivery process. There are two girls who are expecting to give births in Onura village. They too, need help to give birth safely.

Quotes from Jennifer Leo:
We need a childbirth delivery bed, and a set of delivery kits. When we have these facilities women will not be dying in childbirth. Please help!

But we are facing the challenges of raising money to help more women. We are looking for 10 people to sign up for recurring monthly donation. We ask you to sign for $10 – only. Having $10 from 10 different people each month is better than 10 people donating $1200 in December as a Christmas gift as one time donation. $10 – each month is a lot of money and can help mothers in Onura village, South Sudan. In charity there are no big or small amounts. Each cent counts!

Thanks to our donors! Thanks to GlobalGiving! Thanks for helping Jennifer Leo!  Without your help we would have not been in this position to help in Onura village.

In next 3 months we will post the new project updated, and also to tell how your contributions are impacting the lives of women and their babies. Hope Ofiriha appreciates partnering with you and hopes we will continue to team together until the goal of this project is achieved.

GlobalGiving is giving away $12,000 in bonus awards during this campaign!

 
 Here are the main reasons why you should consider signing up for monthly recurring donations to help Hope Ofiriha;

• The top 20 projects that receive the most new unique recurring donors will each be awarded a $500 bonus.
• One project that raises the highest donation amount per month from recurring donations will be awarded $1,000.
• One project that attracts the most new unique recurring donors will be awarded an additional $1,000 (for a total of $1,500!).

• Projects must have at least 10 new unique recurring donors to be eligible for bonus awards

The final results of this campaign will be adjudicated in August 2011. Bonuses will be awarded based on the amount raised and the number of unique recurring donors at this time. In some cases, projects may forfeit bonus awards if donors cancel their recurring donations before the awards are given.

Links:

• Hope Facebook page
• Hope Ofiriha twitter page
• Stop childbirth death sentence project on our website

Jennifer Leo, 18,  is expecting to give birth and needs help to get basic items during delivery.

On 08- Feb - 2011 president Omer al-Bashir, issued a republican decree accepting the final results of referendum, which supports the separation of the South into an independent state. North and South Sudan are presently engaged in talks to resolve the sensitive issues, which includes sharing of oil revenues, demarcation of boarders, and the contested oil-rich Abyei region.

 2011 has many challenges for the people of southern Sudan. In Omilling, poverty, and diseases continues to threaten the villagers. But women are strong and hopeful, and are working hard to overcome these challenges. Hope Ofiriha sees it every day from the ground. You can help Southern Sudanese, particularly women and children, to create a better future for themselves and their families with a contribution to ALL through GlobalGiving.

Poor education among women and lack of access to health facilities in a post war –torn Omilling village has increased risks surrounding child birth - due to lack of delivery bed, and delivery kits.

Home delivery and hospital maternity is not the same; when women deliver at home some local traditional midwives use unclean knives, increasing the risk of death even in cases where the process gets completed successful.

According to our local statistics here, 10 women die per 200 births in Omilling village. These women have a lifetime risk of dying in childbirth of 1 in 20.

 Dr. Lokong said: “I have come across several village women who have each had more than eight deliveries at home due to lack of health facilities. In many of the cases the children delivered die. Most pregnant young girls believe in traditional birth delivery, not knowing it may not always be safe. This is made worse when a maternity centre is not available locally.”

Dr. Lokong cited the risks of home –based delivery: excess bleeding, the placenta failing to descend, and disease transmission through handling contaminated blood. To stop women from dying in child birth they need a delivery bed, and delivery kits. “This is the best solution in this village.”

Hope Ofiriha has been supplying basic items which assist women during child delivery such as: syringes needles, sterile gowns, gloves and maternity pads. To continue to help more women Hope Ofiriha needs ongoing funding from the donors.

We thanks you for the supports in 2010 and we look forward in working with you in years to come until the goal of this project has been fully met.

Thanks for joing hands with Hope ofiriha!

Links:

• Hope ofiriha's Facebook
• Hope ofiriha's twitter profile
• Hope Ofirha's Picasaweb