As we are now enjoying the May flowers brought on

by April showers, we can all take a collective sigh as

we bid farewell to a long winter and anticipate that

season that every Canadian lives for—summer!

CCRDA had a great start to the season with a

successful Spring Forum and Annual General Meeting

on April 7-9th. If you missed this fantastic event, I

hope you read the Member Update sent out by Joella

on May 15th giving coverage of the event.

If you missed the Forum, you also missed the announcement of Steve passing along the

mantel of Chair to myself. So it is with this first newsletter that I would like to introduce myself

as someone who will need to work hard to follow in the footsteps of Steve Clarke, and other

such high capacity people who have served as Chair of the Board for CCRDA.

Having served on the board for two years, I hold a strong belief in the purpose of CCRDA and

the important ministry role it offers for relief and development professionals. It is the second

“C” that gives us a unique place in our nation—Canadian Christian Relief and Development

Association. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and love your neighbor as yourself.

Was that not what Jesus said is the most important commandment? This is exactly what

Christian relief and development agencies are all about doing—putting this commandment

into action!

This month’s newsletter focuses on a hot topic in our nation's capital right now: Maternal,

Newborn and Child Health (MNCH). With the MNCH Summit happening in Toronto on May

28-30th, many members may also be focusing on this issue. Read on to find out what are

members are up to in the area of maternal and child health care initiatives. Together we are

making a difference around the world for women and their families. I’ve never yet met a

person who didn’t think “mom” wasn’t important. As agencies, we think they’re important

too!

Daniel served 4 Babylonian Kings – Nebuchadnezzar, Belshazzar, Darius and Cyrus – and that

couldn’t have been easy for anyone, especially an exiled Jew living in bondage. Daniel

exemplified the spirit of excellence and of being true to his God. In return, God remained

faithful to Daniel over 70 years of exile and raised him up, when many would have faltered

and fallen. I believe this was because Daniel served the Lord faithfully and God has promised

us that he will answer when we call on his name. In Colossians 3:17, it says “whatever you do,

whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus”… and Paul writes in Chapter

3:23-24, “whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men,

since you know you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward”.

and faithful servants, as Daniel was, and strive for excellence in the confident knowledge

that God will guide and uphold us.

Having a baby should be one of the happiest times for a woman and her family, but this happy

experience is denied to many. Statistics say that every minute at least one woman dies from

complications related to pregnancy or childbirth in addition to many more who are left with life-

altering disabilities. And, despite the recent decline in child mortality rates, thousands of mothers

still mourn the loss of their children each and every day. This is unacceptable when most of these

deaths are preventable.

Working together with committed partners, HPIC strives to help make pregnancy and childbirth a

safe and joyful experience by placing necessary tools and medicine into the hands of frontline

health workers. In late 2013, we started the pilot testing of the Mother-Child Health Kit (MCH Kit)

in collaboration with different partners. The pilot took place in countries with high maternal and

Want to help a community thrive? Start

with the mothers. That’s what we, at Heath

Partners International, Canada (HPIC),

believe. During the last couple of years, we

have been working with various partners

developing a kit to improve maternal and

child health outcomes in impoverished and

hard-to-reach places.

child mortality rates, and where the need is great. Based on the feedback we are getting from the

field, we will modify the kit contents as needed.

The MCH Kit includes basic equipment, medicine and medical supplies. Simply put, it includes

what a health worker needs to provide primary care for mothers and babies before, during and

shortly after childbirth. A training component, implemented by HPIC’s partners on the ground,

usually complements the provision of the kits to strengthen the knowledge and skills of health

For 25 years, CAUSE Canada has worked in Sierra Leone, West Africa, championing community

level development. We have constructed birthing huts where women are given access to a safe

and clean place to give birth, reducing risk for mothers who otherwise travel long distances to

give birth or give birth at home. As well, ongoing support and training of traditional birth

attendants has provided women with pre and post-natal care. As a result, the last decade has

seen incredible improvements in Sierra Leone when it comes to reducing maternal and child

mortality rates. In fact, Sierra Leone has seen a reduction from 1,300 to 890 deaths per 100,000

live births in a 10 year period (2000-2010), and these drastic improvements are seen as a result of

expanded health care programs to remote communities.

While progress is prevalent in certain areas, child mortality remains high. More infants are

surviving their first year, yet one in five children continue to die before their fifth birthday. What

is the reason behind this problem? Malnutrition, disease, and poor sanitation.

CAUSE Canada is co-financed by UNICEF on a program in the Moyamba District of Sierra Leone

working to address maternal and child mortality through a combination of interventions.

Communities receive nutrition workshops, agriculture training, seeds and tools. Malnutrition

screening is carried out by trained field staff. Immunizations and vitamin supplementations are

organized during “Mami and Wi Pikin” weeks, and sensitization about good nutrition practices

are highlighted through community plays, radios and workshops. At CAUSE Canada, the focus lies

on the health and nutrition of expectant mothers by working with communities to build a diverse

and protein rich diet. Mothers are taught that their nutrition is essential to the health of their

child, especially in the first two years of life. Over the last two years, we have trained 1,429

villages across Moyamba District to increase good nutritional practices through community led

workshops.

Photo 1: Front entrance to the new OB ward

Photo 2: eMi team on site at Galmi hospital (including project leader Kevin Wiens, centre, with

cap & water bottle, and volunteer architect Mark Hicks, right with cap) discussing the

redevelopment needs of Galmi Hospital with Hospital Administrator (front left with binder)

Photo 3: Michele Wiens (author) visiting original maternity ward

Galmi Hospital delivers over 2000 babies a year in the heart of Niger, but its maternity ward,

along with much of the rest of the hospital, was in desperate need of a makeover to continue

to offer the quality care that the hospital is known for. The original 60 year old mud brick

buildings had been reinforced, but were deteriorating beyond the point of repair. How could

Galmi create the space they needed while simultaneously keeping the maternity ward

operational? This is the challenge Galmi leadership posed to the Engineering Ministries

International team of engineers and architects on site to design the second phase of the Hospital

Redevelopment with a focus on obstetrics. Or, as eMi project leader Kevin Wiens succinctly

rephrased it: “The Goal: Take down several existing wards, replace them with new wards on the

same land – and keep the whole hospital fully operational in the process!”

The multi-disciplinary design team spent the week working out the logistics of programming,

infrastructure and phasing, and ultimately recommended that as patients were moved into the

newly-constructed surgical ward (from Phase I), the original surgical ward could be demolished to

make room for the new maternity ward. The new shower block would have to wait until the

maternity patients were moved into the new wing and the old obstetrics ward was ready for

demolition – as volunteer architect Mark Hicks says: “We have to build it in various phases and

move the people from the ward before we can demolish the original building” – but with minor

inconveniences, Galmi could keep serving the women of Niger now, while taking the steps to

continue serving them well in the future. The new Obstetrics Pavilion was dedicated earlier this

year, and – thanks to a well thought-out plan - Galmi is now able to provide a clean, safe birth

space for more women.

Considering construction or redevelopment? Check out emicanada.org for more information on

how Engineering Ministries International can help.

Mithee Hasan’s* Savings Group has already saved $343 from weekly deposits, sometimes as

small as seven cents. Of that, over $200 has been lent out among the 18 members for everything

Savings Groups are multiplying and

spreading as women are telling their friends

and family members about the power of

saving and working together. But it's so

much more than that - it's about learning

and growing together to better their

families. These women are now change

agents for their entire community.

from purchasing vegetable seeds to buying land. The women have drafted their own constitution

to set interest rates that work for them, making sure that no member will be barred from

accessing a loan, but also that rates are sufficient to keep their capital growing.

Nineteen-year-old Mithee never dreamed that an accounting kit and a weekly meeting could

change her life. Married at 16 and pregnant soon after, Mithee found it hard to have hope for the

future. When a Food for the Hungry (FH) staff member suggested that she join a Savings Group,

she was skeptical. But she tried it, and soon the other women elected her to train as the group

cashier and assistant meeting facilitator.

In addition to learning about health, money management, and income generation, the women

are also trained in literacy, legal rights and values. Two recent workshops on early marriage and

gender-based oppression were especially eye-opening; many of the mothers hadn’t realized

there were laws protecting them and their daughters. It's an incredible amount to take in, but

the effects are far-reaching.

While the savings and loans aspect has impact on their families' livelihoods and financial status,

FH uses the groups as a way to educate women -- foundational change-makers in society -- on

what they are capable of and how life can be better in a lasting way. The lessons quickly spread

to their husbands, children, and other women in the community.

Today, Mithee conducts weekly meetings and leads the group when their chairperson is away.

Her family’s financial stability has already improved through her strategic weekly savings, and she

has been diligent about applying the health lessons she’s learned in the group. Her family is

healthy, and she along with her husband look forward to sending their children - boys and girls -

to school in the near future.

Hannifah grew up believing she was a burden. She was born HIV+ and lost her mother when she

was only one month old. Her father was angry and resented his sickly child and her consistent

need for medical care.

Sadly, when Hannifah turned seventeen, her father had had enough and threw her out of the

house. With nowhere else to go, Hannifah lived in abandoned, unfinished buildings. There she

met Mike and started living with him. A few months later, she was pregnant.

During her early pregnancy, her bouts with illness increased and it terrified Mike. He feared

Hannifah would die in the house so he forced her to leave.

Hannifah sought help at the church she attended as a child. The pastor let her sleep at the church

for several months and provided her with food. The church counsellor, a close confidant to

Hannifah, connected her to Compassion’s Child Survival Program at Full Gospel Church Masaka,

Uganda.

Through the program, Hannifah received treatment, food and transport to the hospital. She

successfully gave birth to a healthy baby girl, Deborah. At home, her family could only afford one

or two meals a day, yet Hannifah’s HIV+ status required that she have proper nutrition. Without

the supplemental food provided through the program, she could not have survived.

By the time Deborah turned three, Hannifah was pregnant again. When a registered child turns

three, he or she graduates from the program. However, Hannifah was still in dire need. Her

husband physically abused her and forced her to go without food. Mike and Hannifah couldn’t

pay rent, so Mike eventually took everything out of the house and abandoned Hannifah. As Mike

ran out, Hannifah ran to the program’s staff.

The staff decided to register Hannifah again. It is not common to register a mother more than

once because there are many vulnerable children and mothers in the community. However,

without the help of Child Survival Program, the staff recognized Hannifah and her unborn baby

would die. The staff requested funds from Compassion’s Highly Vulnerable Children initiatives to

support her. They paid for one year of rent, monthly food, bedding, and other basic needs.

When she was seven months pregnant, Hannifah’s condition worsened and staff rushed her to

the hospital, realizing she may not come out of the hospital alive. She delivered her baby, a girl

named Joy. Joy was premature-- a mere one kilogram.

Hannifah spent a month in the hospital undergoing treatment and observation with her

premature baby. The Child Survival Program took care of all Hannifah’s bills, something she could

not manage on her own. They also continued to give her staple Ugandan foods such as beans,

posho, sugar, butter, fish and ground nuts. They bought her baby bottles, formula and clothing.

The staff visited her every week to ensure she was well and loved.

Joy, her premature baby, is now a healthy three year old. Deborah’s health is also thriving and

neither of the girls are HIV+. Hannifah is now a happier woman.

“I gave birth to Joy when I was going to die,” Hannifah says. “I was very sick and she was born

with a fever. She also used to breathe badly and the doctor said she had pneumonia. Every week,

the staff visited me and gave me food. Without the program, I think Joy would have died and I

would have died".

Hannifah, now 24-years-old, still does not have energy to do much for herself and her family. But

with the help of the Child Survival Program, Hannifah’s family will survive and hopes for a

brighter future.

Three inches from her bed lay another woman. Alone. She just observed us, as if she was simply

waiting to be discharged. No obvious trauma. In actual fact, she never brought her baby out of

the labour and delivery room. I later recoiled from the room where her baby lay with all the other

babies – dead.

I stood next to the bed of a 16-year old girl.

With a silent tear rolling down her cheek,

she stared at the blue coloured newborn

laying next to her, as if averting her eyes

would cut the infant’s lifeline. Her baby had

grown outside the womb.

Maternal and newborn mortality continues to be a problem in Sub-Saharan Africa, with a

maternal mortality ratio as high as 790 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births in Tanzania and

409 in Ghana (WHO, 2010). In Canada, we have 8 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births (WHO,

2010).

While Crossroads has been working with Save The Mothers East Africa for the past couple of

years in a supportive role, we are increasing our level of partnership over the next several years

in order to expand an innovative model called the ‘Mother Friendly Hospital Initiative’. This

program works to equip local clinics with basic obstetric care, enabling them to save the lives of

mothers and their newborns.

For more information, please contact: Tracey DeGraaf, Senior Program Officer @

tdegraaf@crossroads.ca

*|END:IF|

Copyright © 2014 Canadian Christian Relief and Development Association, All rights reserved.Our mailing address is: 16 Soper Creek Drive, Bowmanville, Ontario, L1C 4G1 unsubscribe from this list update subscription preferences