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YOUR IMPACT
Current projects in East Africa
HER DIGNITY FUND
Every woman matters.
Providing lifesaving maternal healthcare & fistula repair in remote Africa
Around the world, approximately 800 women die every day from birth-related injuries such as fistula. More than half of these are in sub-Saharan Africa. The Barbara May Foundation funds projects that provide dignity and safety for underprivileged women in birth.
Established in 2009, the Barbara May Foundation (BMF) provides funding to Australian medical professionals Valerie Browning AM and Dr Andrew Browning AM initiating and managing projects in remote Africa (Tanzania, Ethiopia, South Sudan, Northern Uganda) that relieve the high incidence of death and extreme injury such as fistula in pregnancy and childbirth. They provide safety, dignity and hope. Maternal healthcare and medical services are provided at no cost, regardless of race or religion.
Projects supported in Africa
Barbara May Maternity Hospital, Ethiopia
Valerie Browning AM
Vision Maternity Care Hospital, Ethiopia
Dr Birhanu Menber
Kivulini Hospital Maternity Africa (MA), Tanzania
Dr Andrew Browning
Latest News & Articles
Impact Report for the year ended 30 June 2025
We are grateful for your support this year, enabling women in Africa to give birth safely and be healed of fistula injuries .
Announcing Phaedra Hospital: Hope, Life and Legacy
An Australian couple, Anthony and Rae McLellan, have generously donated $2.6 million to fund the...
Fistula surgeries: It takes a team
Meet some of the team restoring women’s dignity in TanzaniaCome with Dr Andrew as he introduces...
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It’s International Volunteers Day…and oh boy do we have some incredible volunteers at Barbara May Foundation.
You have helped us with everything from professional volunteering on the ground in Africa, to behind-the-scenes support here in Australia.
We know you do it for those mamas and babies who have no one else. Your help has made a difference. Thank you 🧡
Hospital laundry shouldn’t be washed in a river.
This Christmas, help us provide washing facilities at this remote hospital in Central African Republic.
Support our 2025 Christmas Appeal: Link in Bio!
Looking for a Christmas gift idea for someone who loves living a faith-filled, generous life? We’ve got you covered!
Dr Andrew’s book, A Doctor in Africa, is an inspiring read for anyone interested in living a more meaningful, impactful life.
Give this thoughtful gift and you’ll ALSO be supporting our life-saving work in Africa. Order from your favourite bookstore or online (link in bio).
#meaningfulgift #wishlist #booksofınstagram #booklover #christiangift #giftidea #maternalhealth #charity #fistulafoundation #catherinehamlin
It’s Giving Tuesday! We want to say THANK YOU to everyone who gave this year to support the safe arrival of 16,202 babies. Here is just one of them.
Swap the consumerism of Black Friday for the generosity of Giving Tuesday. Donate here: https://barbaramayfoundation.com/how-can-i-help/
(Link in bio)
#givingtuesday #thankyou❤️ #thankful #MaternalHealthMatters #newbornbaby #nicu #maternalhealth #barbaramayfoundation
What’s the story behind our new partner hospital in Tanzania?
Listen in to this great conversation between Dr Andrew Browning, Anthony McLellan (the donor funding the construction of the hospital) and 20Twenty’s Neil Johnson!
🔊Find it in your podcast player or click the link in our bio!
#australiancharity #podcast #maternalhealth #globalhealth #sustainabledevelopmentgoals #tanzania #christianliving
Stop scrolling for sales – we’ve got something better.
Here’s how your generosity made a difference this year!
Give a gift this Christmas which will have a lifelong impact: Christmas Appeal link in bio!
🎉A major milestone for mothers in Tanzania: the construction of the new Phaedra Hospital is officially underway. Made possible by a generous $2.6M gift from an Australian family, this facility will transform maternal healthcare in central Tanzania.
There’s a powerful story behind this gift and the woman it honours. Read the full story - news link in bio.
(Pictured here is Professor Jonathan Morris, our Board Chair, at the ground-breaking ceremony recently.)
Stop for a second! 601 women suffering with a fistula received specialist surgery for FREE this year.
Wow.
And it’s all thanks to your generosity, along with others who share the same heart for these vulnerable women.
If that’s not a reason to pause and celebrate, we don’t know what is!
Read our full 2025 Impact Report here: Link in bio
#fistulatreatment #fistulasurgery #fistulaawareness #maternalhealthcare #lifechanging #christiancharity #faithinaction
Exciting news! A donor has offered to MATCH donations until Christmas, up to the amount of $10,000!
🎁 If you’re thinking of giving a meaningful gift this year, please support our Christmas Appeal and ensure your donation has DOUBLE the impact!
Link in bio.
Our Impact Report is officially here!
Read updates from our partner hospitals, hear about how women’s lives were changed, and see the INCREDIBLE amount of impact your donations supported.
See just how many:
🧡Fistula operations
🧡Midwives trained
🧡Babies born
🧡Newborns received specialist neonatal care
🧡And so much more…
THANK YOU. It’s not only OUR Impact Report, it’s YOURS – none of this is possible without YOUR generosity, compassion and support.
Check it out here: Link in bio.
#ethiopia #uganda #tanzania #centralafricanrepublic #southsudan #impactreport #maternalhealthcare #australiancharity #midwifeabroad #nurseswithoutborders #ObstetricsGynecology #GenerosityInAction
You’re invited! Enjoy a meaningful chat over lunch tomorrow – Thurs 27th from 1pm to 2pm. Hear from Dr Andrew (who is just back from attending 3 fistula camps across Central African Republic, South Sudan and Tanzania) and our team.
Register here: Link in bio (or check stories)!
P.S Don’t forget we’ll be calling in from in NSW – 1pm daylight savings time.
You’re invited to join us for a chat about how GENEROSITY has changed lives in Africa.
We believe generosity is more important than consumerism, especially at this time of year 💙 If you agree, join us this Thursday!
Save your online seats here: link in bio
#barbaramayfoundation #impact #GivingTuesdaycampaign #blackfriday #maternalhealth #handsandfeetofjesus #GenerosityInAction