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. Running projects in remote Africa (Tanzania, Ethiopia and South Sudan) 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
Reconciliation Hospital, South Sudan
Dr Andrew Browning
Kivulini Hospital Maternity Africa (MA), Tanzania
Dr Andrew Browning
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“Aunt Val and Uncle Ismael, in about 2009, on the building site of our first maternity hospital in the Afar Desert of Ethiopia – the hottest inhabited place on earth. The hospital was later named Barbara May Memorial Hospital.” Excerpt from A Doctor in Africa.
Learn more about Valerie Browing's work in Africa - story link in bio. #adoctorinafrica #barbaramayfoundation #fistularepair #africa #safebirth #savethemothersavetheworld
In recognition of the great work of our midwives meet Sister Medhanit who joined the staff of Vision Maternity Care Hospital (VMC) eight-years-ago after working as a midwife in the government hospitals for eight years prior to that. She works hard - teaching, caring, and instructing, and is one of our lead midwives having cared for hundreds of women in the clinics, wards and delivery rooms.
“I enjoy making a difference in a person's life. Being able to help women in difficulty and seeing the joy they have when they deliver a healthy baby is reward enough.” www.barbaramayfoundation.com
#savethemothersavetheworld #safebirth #barbaramayfoundation #maternalhealth #africa #maternityafrica #fistularepair
In recognition of the great work of our midwives, please meet Sister Monmon who first worked at a project we ran in a rural hospital in central north Ethiopia in a town called Mota. She was an exceptional team member, and when her family moved to BarhirDar, she applied to work at the BMF-funded Vision Maternity Care Hospital (VMC) and of course she was accepted. She has been working as a midwife at VMC since 2011 and is a key midwife, bringing experience, care and expertise.
"I love the to help women have a safe birth and help them with their newborn babies at this crucial and special moment in their lives."
www.barbaramayfoundation.com
#savethemothersavetheworld #safebirth #barbaramayfoundation #maternalhealth #africa #maternityafrica #fistularepair
Continuing in our series of the wonderful women who work for the Barbara May Foundation (BMF) is Jo Crowley. When Jo joined as GM in 2013, the Barbara May Maternity Hospital had just been completed in Ethiopia, managed by Valerie Browning, and the Foundation had begun fundraising for its next project, a new hospital to expand Vision Maternity Care Hospital (VMC), also in Ethiopia. While raising the funds, the team worked out of a tin shed with just 10 beds! The new hospital opened in 2017 which Jo attended along with other members of the BMF team. She remembers it as a highlight of her time with the Foundation. “It was my first trip to Africa and I was thrilled to be at the opening of VMC and meet the great team of doctors and midwives who would run the facility. While in Ethiopia, we also visited Catherine Hamlin – the great Australian doctor and friend and mentor to both Dr Andrew Browning and his aunt, Valerie. This was a very special day for me. We have come a long way in nine years building and running additional facilities which are helping so many women. The steady growth of the Foundation has been amazing and is testament to the respect with which people hold Dr Andrew Browning and his aunt, Valerie. It continues to be an enormous privilege to serve the Foundation and the women we care for in Africa.” www.barbaramayfoundation.com #savethemothersavetheworld #safebirth #barbaramayfoundation #maternalhealth #africa #maternityafrica #fistularepair
Listen now to Dr Andrew Browning on The Global Health Chat podcast (24 June 2022) where he shared his inspiring stories and experiences and discussed their impact on global health. Listen now on the link in the bio.
#safebirth #fistularepair #africa #barbaramayfoundation #theglobalhealthchat
DOUBLE YOUR DONATION TO ‘SAVE THE MOTHER, SAVE THE WORLD’
Two of the Foundation’s great supporters have offered to match every donation to the value of $35,000! So here is your opportunity to double your impact and help the nomadic and rural women living in remote East Africa have access to safe birth and life-saving maternal health services.
A new baby is a joyous and much-anticipated life event.
It is not so in many parts of sub-Saharan Africa where many women simply don’t have access to an attended birth and so are at great risk of complications.
One woman dies in childbirth every three minutes and for each woman who dies, another 20 sustain lifelong injuries one of which is a fistula.
In the past 12 months more than 20,000 women have received free maternal healthcare through BMF-funded programmes and 13,000 delivered their babies for free in our funded networks.
Please help us to continue to provide safety in birth, and return hope and dignity to women who have suffered fistula, by donating today. www.barbaramayfoundation.com #doubletheimpact #doublethedignity #safebirth #fistularepair #africa
Two of the Foundation’s great supporters have offered to MATCH EVERY DONATION to the value of $35,000! So here is your opportunity to DOUBLE YOUR IMPACT and help the women living in remote East Africa have access to safe birth and life-saving maternal health services.
To donate today visit: barbaramayfoundation.com/how-can-i-help/
#savethemothersavetheworld #fistularepair #africa #donate
Looking for a way to make a massive difference? Consider making a regular donation to the Barbara May Foundation. You can choose to donate weekly, fortnightly, monthly, or quarterly or whatever amount you like. Regular giving helps us to plan and means you don’t have to think about when you should next make a donation. Your donation will support operating costs at the hospitals we fund, provide vital medical supplies, and fund safe delivery kits for community midwives. When you sign up for regular giving, we will keep you up to date with our work via our e-newsletter. Ready to make it a great habit? See link in bio to donate regularly.
#savethemothersavetheworld #barbaramayfoundation #collaboration #safebirth #fistularepair #africa
In sub-Saharan Africa many women simply don’t have access to an attended birth and are therefore at greater risk of complications. This has resulted in some harrowing statistics.
For example, one woman dies in childbirth every three minutes and for each woman who dies, another 20 sustain lifelong injuries including a condition called a fistula.
Over the past 12 months more than 20,000 women have received free healthcare through Barbara May Foundation-funded programmes and 13,000 women delivered their babies for free in our networks.
Please help us continue to provide safety in birth and return hope and dignity to women who have suffered fistula by donating here today.
All donations over AUD$2 are fully tax-deductible. You can donate securely in link in bio or online: https://bit.ly/3prZMU6.
#savethemothersavetheworld #barbaramayfoundation #africa #safebirth #fistularepair
Meet Ndeke. Ndeke met the Maternity Africa (MA) team as a patient at an outreach clinic in Central Tanzania in July 2021. Suffering with a fistula injury from an obstructed labour, and with full support of her relatives, Ndeke travelled to the Barbara May Foundation (BMF) funded MA hospital for treatment in October 2021 where she underwent a fistula repair operation and was cured. Her husband stayed near to the hospital while she was admitted and visited her every day.
During a recent outreach visit to her village in May 2022, the MA team conducted a follow-up visit to check on her recovery.
Her husband was so impressed with the follow-up, he invited all his relatives, neighbours and village leaders. He was very thankful and promised to be a good fistula ambassador. He already has one fistula patient lined up for the fistula camp in June 2022. In addition, MA conducted another fistula education program in the village with 47 people attending.
www.barbaramayfoundation.com #fistularepair #safebirth #savethemothersavetheworld #dignity #tanzania