SAVE 1000 WOMEN &BABIES IN NIGERIA;GIVE BIRTH KITS

Mrs. Ozioma arrived at the venue of the Nnadozie Foundation maternal health program in Umuahia, Abia State Nigeria looking pale and weak. She strolled into the hall and sat with other pregnant women as they waited for the program to start. The program soon kick-started with blood pressure checks for all participants. During the assessment it was discovered that Ozioma who was 6 months pregnant had a high blood pressure. She revealed that she had recently lost her husband and was yet to register for antenatal check-ups. She received counselling and was referred to the community health centre.

Thereafter, the participants received training from the Foundations resource persons, who are qualified medical personnel. They enumerated the importance and types of healthy diet during pregnancy, importance of regular antenatal and postnatal attendance, vaccinations, benefits of breastfeeding, importance of hygiene as well as the need to have qualified midwives during deliveries. After the training the participants received clean delivery kits containing items needed for a hygienic delivery such as delivery mats, sterile gloves, liquid antiseptic, cotton wool and more. They also received treated bed nets to protect from malaria caused by mosquito bites.

At the end of the program Ozioma and other women were equipped with the information and materials to support a healthy pregnancy and delivery.

Ozioma has since been delivered of a baby girl and both mother and child are healthy and strong.

"Every 10 minutes one woman dies in Nigeria as a result of Child birth” (UNICEF). Nigeria has one of the highest maternal and infant mortality rates in the world.The uptake of routine immunization / vaccination remains poor due to several factors including lack of awareness on its importance and misconceptions. Statistics reveal that 33 percent of all neonatal deaths are attributed to infections—principally neonatal tetanus and sepsis. One of the main factors contributing to the high incidence of neonatal and maternal tetanus and sepsis is that the majority of deliveries take place under unhygienic circumstances.

Furthermore, malaria remains a foremost killer infection in Nigeria. According to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), 11 per cent of maternal deaths in Nigeria are a result of malaria. Considering the important roles women play in families and society at large, it is pertinent to address these problems which threaten their well being and existence

Nnadozie Safety health and Empowerment project (S.H.E) addresses the above problems through a preventive and cost-effective service. This unique four- fold service provides preventive solutions to the leading causes of maternal mortality in Nigeria. It comprises:

1.Pregnancy health training- Provides pregnancy health information and sensitization in rural communities to promote health and increase antenatal/postnatal attendance, uptake of immunization/vaccination and delivery at health facility .

2.Blood Pressure checks: Women receive free blood pressure checks to ascertain their blood pressure levels and raise awareness on dangers of high blood pressure in pregnancy and the need for regular antenatal visits to keep track of this.

3.Provision of treated bed nets: Women receive insect treated bed nets to help prevent malaria which is caused by mosquito bites.

4. Clean delivery Kits: Provides essential items for hygienic delivery. The delivery kits contain high quality essential sterilized items required at childbirth to ensure women have a safe and hygienic delivery, in line with WHO principles for cleanliness at birth. It contains items such as, absorbent delivery mats, sterilized hand gloves, antiseptic liquid, cord ties, Cord cleaning product, Sterile cotton wool and soap. All Items used are NAFDAC approved.

To support this impactful project please click link

Dear Partner,

Greetings from Nigeria!

We are pleased to report that we have continued to expand the reach and impact of our project in Abia State Nigeria. 20 more women in Olokoro community received pregnancy health training, clean delivery kits, treated bed nets and free blood pressure checks.

The beneficiaries were excited and grateful for the project and based on the training received they committed to regularly attend antenatal sessions. This will ensure they stay up to date on their vaccinations and have their deliveries in the approved health centres. The clean delivery kits also provide them with essential items for a clean delivery such as sterile delivery mats, sterile gloves, antiseptic liquid, and much more.

We remain committed to improving maternal health in Abia State and contribute to the reduction of maternal mortality in Nigeria, which is one of the highest in the world.

All these would not have been possible without your kind support.

Please remember that Giving Tuesday is only a day away- 3^rd December 2019. We encourage you to take advantage of the matching funds provided by Global Giving to increase the value of your donation. Do also spread the words to your contact.

We hope you love the pictures of our latest outreach.

Thank you,

 For: Nnadozie Foundation

Judith Ukagwu.

We are excited to report that the impact of our project is being felt in the lives of our project beneficiaries and community. Some of our project beneficiaries have put to bed safely and thus far, there has been no report of any delivery-related infections.

Mrs.Ogechi of Umuosu Afugiri, delivered a beautiful baby girl and both mother and child are healthy and strong. The items in the delivery kit, ensured that the risk of infection during delivery was greatly reduced. The pregnancy health training which she received also equipped her with vital information that contributed to her well being during pregnancy.

Mrs Nwanyisunday of Umunemeze Afugiri, Ozioma of  Umuekwule Okpuala and Chidininma of Umunemeze also delivered their babies safely to mention a few.

We continue to monitor our beneficiaries to obtain feed back on the impact of the project. Our next outreach is slated for October 2019. Subject to availability of funds, we hope to reach many more women 

We remain commited to providing each underserved woman in the community the basic items, that can ensure a hygienic delivery.

Thanks to you, these women and newborns have been protected from infections during delivery; thereby giving the new borns a healthy start and the mothers a good chance to stay alive and watch their babies grow,

We thank you once again for your kind donation and urge you to continue to support this project.

Kindly share this project with your friends and contacts to help us get more support.

Links:

• Learn more about Nnadozie Foundation activities.

THE FIRST PHASE OF THIS PROJECT RECORDED HUGE SUCCESS, AS 20 PREGNANT WOMEN IN AFUGIRI COMMUNITY NIGERIA, BENEFITED IN MAY 2019. FOLLOWING OUR COMMITMENT TO LISTEN AND ACT UPON INFORMATION RECEIVED FROM OUR TARGET COMMUNITY, OUR INITIAL PLAN TO DISTRIBUTE DELIVERY KITS AND CONDUCT HEALTH TRAINING WAS EXPANDED TO INCLUDE FREE BLOOD PRESSURE CHECKS AND DISTRIBUTION OF TREATED BED NETS.THIS WAS DONE TO FURTHER ADDRESS THE CHALLENGES BEING FACED BY PREGNANT WOMEN IN THE COMMUNITY SUCH AS MALARIA AND HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE DURING PREGNANCY. BOTH ARE HIGHLY DANGEROUS AND RESULT IN LIFE-THREATHENING COMPLICATIONS DURING PREGNANCY. THIS FURTHER AMPLIFIED THE IMPACT OF THE PROJECT. FURTHERMORE, TO ENSURE COMMUNITY-LED CHANGES, WOMEN LEADERS IN THE COMMUNITY PARTICIPATED IN THE PROJECT, SO THAT THEY COULD ALSO BE TRAINED AND EQUIPPED WITH RELEVANT PREGNANCY HEALTH INFORMATION. THIS IS TO ENSURE THAT LESSONS LEARNT CAN BE SHARED WITH OTHER WOMEN IN THE COMMUNITY AND THEY CAN CONTINUE TO SENSITIZE OTHER LOCAL WOMEN ON IMPORTANCE OF ANTENATAL/POST NATAL ATTENDANCE,  UPTAKE OF IMMUNIZATION, DELIVERY AT APPROVED HEALTH FACILITY AMONGST OTHERS.

YOUR DONATION ENABLED US EXECUTE THIS IMPACTFUL PROJECT AND IN THE WORDS OF SOME OF OUR PROJECT BENEFICIARIES : 

"THIS PROJECT HAS REALLY RESTORED MY HOPE, I HAVE BEEN WORRIED ABOUT HOW TO RAISE MONEY FOR MY DELIVERY ITEMS. I KNOW IT IS UNSAFE TO BE SO WORRIED DURING PREGNANCY, BUT I REALLY DID NOT KNOW WHAT TO DO. WITH THE LESSONS I HAVE LEARNT AND THIS KIT I HAVE RECEIVED FROM NNADOZIE FOUNDATION, I AM NOW RELAXED AND CONFIDENT TO HAVE MY BABY" MRS. NGOZI.O.

"I LOST MY HUSBAND FEW WEEKS INTO THIS PREGNANCY AND I HAVE BEEN COMPLETELY DEVASTATED. I DID NOT REALIZE THAT THIS HAD AFFECTED MY BLOOD PRESSURE, UNTIL THE NURSE CHECKED ME TODAY. I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR CARING ABOUT US. I HAVE LEARNT HOW TO TAKE BETTER CARE OF MYSELF AND HOPEFULY I WILL VISIT THE HEALTH CENTRE FOR ANTENATAL CARE. THANK YOU NNADOZIE FOUNDATION". CHINAZA.I

"I HAD MY LAST CHILD AT HOME BECAUSE WE COULD NOT AFFORD HOSPITAL DELIVERY. I DID NOT EVEN HAVE MOST OF THESE ITEMS GIVEN TO ME TODAY. I NOW REALISE THAT I EXPOSE MY BABY AND SELF TO DANGER BY GIVING BIRTH IN UNCLEAN ENVIRONMENT. BY GODS GRACE IF I CAN RAISE SOME MONEY, I WILL REGISTER IN A HOSPITAL FOR MY DELIVERY"-NWANYISUNDAY.O

NNADOZIE FOUNDATION WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR PROJECT BENEFICIAIRES TO KEEP TRACK OF KIT USAGE, BEHAVIOUR CHANGES AND OVERALL IMPACT OF THE PROJECT IN REDUCING MATERNAL AND INFANT MORTALITY IN THE COMMUNITY.

OUR GOAL IS TO REACH 250 PREGNANT WOMEN IN AFUGIRI, BUT WE HAVE ONLY REACHED 20 WOMEN DUE TO THE AMOUNT OF MONEY RAISED THUS FAR. PLEASE CONTINUE TO DONATE TO THIS PROJECT AND ENCOURAGE YOUR FAMILY, FRIENDS AND CONTACTS TO SUPPORT THIS IMPACTFUL PROJECT.

THIS JULY, GLOBALGIVING IS HOSTING A BIG BONUS DAY ON THURSDAY JULY 18, FROM 9.00AM TO11:59 PM E.T. THERE WILL BE $130K IN PRIZE FUNDS AND DONATIONSOF $100 AND ABOVE WILL BE MATCHED BY GLOBAL GIVING. PLEASE PLAN TO MAKE A DONATION ON THAT DAY AS THIS WILL ENABLE US RAISE MORE FUNDS TO REACH MORE UNDERSERVED PREGNANTWOMEN.

YOU CAN ALSO WATCH THIS PROJECT VIDEO ON YOUTUBE USING THIS LINK -   https://youtu.be/9qR0U_XNlCY

THANK YOU!

Links:

• PROJECT VIDEO