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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 East 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
We’re Hiring!
We’re looking for a Database and Donor Administration Manager!
Her Dignity Fund Launch
Together we are making a difference to ensure more women will be able to give birth safely. Thanks...
Halim’s Story
Halim is around 22 years old and she’s spent her life living in a nomadic village, in the Afar...
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Meet Noela — a brilliant and dedicated theatre nurse from Tanzania 🥰
Noela often travels with Dr Andrew Browning to support life-changing fistula surgery camps across East Africa. Recently, Noela helped the team to operate on 20 women suffering from devastating birth injuries in CAR — women who had been waiting years for relief.
But during the trip, Noela contracted malaria. We’re so glad she’s now fully recovered — and (true to her incredible character) continued working the whole time, caring for women in need.
These missions aren’t easy. They involve risk. But thanks to our amazing teams — and the care we take to plan and protect them — the work continues.
To Noela, and to all of our supporters who make this possible: thank you 🧡
#nursepractitioner #nurselife #fistula #fistulatreatment #barbaramayfoundation #womenshealthmatters #birthingstories #BirthInjury @maternityafrica
Excited vibe at Kivulini Maternity Centre recently, as new medical equipment arrived and was set up ready to use! This brilliant machine, generously donated by Sonic Healthcare Foundation, will be used to test and scan blood for antibodies. For the nonmedical folk, it will allow us to more sensitively and safely match donor/patient blood before a transfusion. We have no doubt this new equipment will help save lives.
We are committed to providing excellent standards of care through our partner hospitals, and machines like this make it possible.
@maternityafrica #sonichealthcarefoundation #sonichealthcareaustralia #MaternityCare #barbaramayfoundation #midwife #nurselife #profitforpurpose #CSR #womenshealth #sustainabledevelopmentgoals
Patient story – Here’s some behind the scenes of Helen’s treatment at a recent fistula camp in Central African Republic.
30 years of suffering...can we help her?
This was our team’s second trip to Galo, in CAR.
(Shared with her permission)
Find out how you can support more women to be healed: Link in Bio
#fistulatreatment #fistula #womenshealth #barbaramayfoundation #australiancharity #bethechange #patientcare #obstetrics #missionarylife #nurselife
Applications close this week – we’d love to hear from you!
More details and info in our bio.
#sydney #nonprofitjobs #australiancharity #barbaramayfoundation
We’re excited to be visiting Brisbane in September for the first time in a number of years 🤩 We hope to see many of our QLD supporters there!
If you’re in Brisbane, please invite your friends and family, churches, and colleagues – we`re hoping to meet many new faces and spread the word about the importance of healing and preventing obstetric fistulas. Help us spread the word!
Tickets and details in bio!
POV: We don’t let language barriers get in the way of restoring women’s dignity. No matter where they’re from, we’ll make sure she feels heard and seen, and gets the correct treatment she needs.
Here our patient is speaking in Sangui, which is then translated to French, and finally to English.
#barbaramayfoundation #translation #maternitycare #maternalhealth #australiancharity #herdignity #fistulapatient #endfistula #midwifelife #nurseswithoutborders #doctorswithoutborders
Another load of supplies from our generous community…
Fun fact: These supplies were bought locally with the expertise of hospital staff in Tanzania, to support the local economy. These amazing supporters have a real heart for the women – often from very poor or very difficult backgrounds – who visit Kivulini Maternity Centre.
Thank you Noela (and her supporters from Rotary Club of Brisbane High-Rise !) who have once again shown their compassion and commitment to helping women and babies in East Africa.
#barbaramayfoundation #bethechange #RotaryClub #australiancharity #womenshealth #maternity #maternalhealth @maternityafrica
We’re looking for a part-time Database and Donor Administration Manager. This is a rare opportunity to join our small but mighty team, supporting the incredible mission and work of the Barbara May Foundation 🥰
Details on our website (link in bio)
Thank you to everyone who donated.
We are overwhelmed by your generosity and compassion. Your donations are going to make a very real difference for more women like Paulina 🧡🙏
We can’t wait to share more stories of your gift`s impact in the coming months.
#barbaramayfoundation #endfistula #maternalhealth #australiancharity #midwifelife #obstetrics #womenshealth #maternitycare #birthstory
There are over a million women living with a fistula in Africa. Now, there is one less.
It might not seem like much, but to Paulina, it’s everything 🧡
There`s still time to help us make a difference for another 260 women!
Donate before 30 June: https://barbaramayfoundation.com/her-dignity-fund (link in bio)
#barbaramayfoundation #womenshealth #australiancharity #maternitycare #FistulaAwareness #EndFistula #fistulatreatment #fistulafoundation #maternalmentalhealth #MaternalHealthMatters #safebirth #birthinjury #birthstory #maternalhealth #midwives #midwifery #obstetrician
There are over a million women estimated to be living with a fistula in Africa BUT NOW there is one less 🧡
It might not seem like much, but to Paulina and her family, it`s everything.
Thank you to everyone who has donated to help more women like Paulina. Together we ARE making a difference.
#barbaramayfoundation #australiancharity #womenshealth #maternitycare #fistulatreatment #fistulafoundation #maternalmentalhealth #bethechange #bethechangeyouwanttosee #makeadifferencetoday #changetheworld #charity
Behind every statistic is a real person.
Hear Paulina’s story in her own words - link in our bio
#barbaramayfoundation #womenshealth #australiancharity #maternitycare #FistulaAwareness #EndFistula #fistulatreatment #africanwomen #fistulafoundation #maternalmentalhealth #MaternalHealthMatters #safebirth #birthinjury