Page 14 - EMBRACE Book

Jeanette, Rwanda
14
Nan Ni, Myanmar
“I have been working as a midwife for two years now. I am
responsible for six villages in this region of Myanmar.
The ADRA EMBRACE project has played a big role in the
promotion of safe and healthy pregnancies. Because of the
education they have done in the villages, we are seeing a
much higher percentage of pregnant mothers now coming
into the clinic for prenatal exams. This is great! It gives us the
opportunity to check the health of the mother and get her on
nutritional supplements, get her up to date with her
immunizations, and provide time for counselling and
education. As she gets closer to term, we are also able to
determine if there are likely to be any complications and if
so, can recommend her to have the baby in a hospital with a
doctor and more facilities available.
About 70-80% of the deliveries for this community can be
done right here in the clinic. Up until recently, many of the
births were done at home, using traditional birth attendants,
or TBAs. But since ADRA and the EMBRACE project have
provided a birthing ward, beds, birthing equipment, and
supplies, almost everyone is now having their babies here
where it is safer and more sterile.
TBAs are still playing an important role in these remote
villages. The EMBRACE project has brought them together for
15
“Life here in this community is very difficult. One big
challenge that we face living up here is the lack of
infrastructure. We still don’t have electricity and the roads
still do not reach to our house. Going all of the way into the
nearest town to do shopping is very difficult.
Because of the lack of roads, when someone becomes very
sick and cannot move, we use a traditional ‘ambulance,’
which is four men carrying a sick person on a stretcher.
When it rains, the pathway becomes very slippery. Even if
the case is a real emergency, the men need to stop where
they are and wait for the rain to end. There have been
many cases where the sick person has been dropped out of
the stretcher. If the emergency is at night, it is also very
difficult to navigate the steep pathways.
I just recently gave birth to a new baby. I went into labour
at 10 p.m. I gathered some supplies for myself and the new
baby and began to make my way to the village health post
by flashlight. My husband and a couple of neighbour ladies
helped me as I went. When I finally reached the clinic, I
collapsed and was not able to go any further. We had
heard that ADRA had recently donated a new ambulance
for our community health centre. My husband called the
Photo: © 2019 ADRA | Frank Spangler health centre and requested that the ambulance come and
pick us up. Even though the road is very rough between
the health centre and our village, the ambulance was able
to make it and take me to the health centre.
specialized training to help them learn proper procedures
according to the latest methods of child delivery. This way After we arrived at our community health centre, the
they are ready in case of emergencies. But for the most part, nurses on duty gave me an exam and saw that my blood
midwives and TBAs are now working together. In the past, pressure was very high. They were concerned that I was
they have had us midwives come to the home of the mother experiencing complications that would not make it safe for
when it is time to deliver. But now that this birthing clinic me to try and deliver the baby there. They helped me back
and facilities have been provided by EMBRACE, we are into the ambulance which took me to the district hospital
encouraging all pregnant mothers to plan to have their where they were able to help me have a safe and normal
babies here in the clinic where it is safer for mother and delivery. I stayed on at the hospital for a week after the
baby. The local TBAs often come and help us with the baby was born so they could monitor my health and
deliveries here in the clinic. The mothers know them and reduce my blood pressure. After a week at the hospital I
they like having someone they know close by. returned home and I and the baby have been doing well.
The EMBRACE program has also provided midwives with I wish to say how thankful I am to the people of Canada,
training. We have learned a lot about issues of gender the Government of Canada, and ADRA Canada for the gift
equality and gender-based violence and abuse. We have had that you have given to this community of the ambulance.
training sessions on infant care, early childhood Women in my village have died while attempting to give
development, early childhood nutrition, and how to interact birth. When women are pregnant here, we of course are
with small children, how not to scold or speak harshly. How afraid of what might happen to us when we go into labour.
we should be gentle and kind. Now that we have the ambulance, we feel so much better,
not nearly as fearful as before. Thank you, Canada!”
ADRA has also taught us a lot about proper waste
management. In our clinic we have three rubbish bins:
green, yellow, and red. We have learned how to separate our
trash and what needs to be incinerated in the incinerator
that ADRA has built for the clinic.”
Photo: © 2019 ADRA | Frank Spangler