Sudan Emergency – can anything be done? Midwives save lives in Darfur

Midwives in remote villages in Darfur, Sudan, are more urgently needed now than ever. There is no health care in villages. The few rural hospitals are not only struggling with those injured in the fighting, they are short of medicines – short of everything. The danger of travelling anywhere in Darfur is endangering the lives of expectant mothers. Can anything be done?

Midwife training

Since 2001 Kids for Kids, the British charity founded specifically to help children in remote villages in Darfur, has been training midwives, not only in the 110 Kids for Kids’ villages but across the whole of North Darfur. There are over 500 Kids for Kids midwives working in villages with no other health care. They are saving lives. They are helping to reduce maternal and neonatal mortality rates, and they are providing desperately needed support to women during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period.

Women at great risk

It is known that many babies have been born prematurely in Khartoum since the fighting, but with virtually all hospitals under attack from indiscriminate bombing by the warring forces, mothers in labour are at great risk. According to the UN, an estimated 219,000 women are currently pregnant in Khartoum alone, including 24,000 women expected to give birth in the coming weeks.  It is not known how many face childbirth out of sight in Darfur.

Access to a trained midwife could not be more urgently needed. With your support, we can train and support midwives where they are most needed.

It costs £2000 to train a midwife in Darfur, including medical kit, uniform and leather sandals.

We also provide strong fast donkeys – the only transport in remote villages – £250 – and a solar lantern – £75.

How to donate

Please donate now to support women during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period.

Send cheques to: Kids for Kids P.O.Box 456 Dorking Surrey RH4 2WS

Text SUDAN EMERGENCY TO 70085 to donate £3

No healthcare

There are thousands of remote villages that have no healthcare. There may be a Traditional Birth Attender (TBA) – someone who has ‘survived childbirth’. She will have had no medical training. If there is obstructed birth, ‘rope delivery’ is practised, with subsequent risk to both mother and baby. Sadly, because Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is common, many women risk obstructed labour, making it even more important that they have access to a midwife. Without such help, fistula (long-term incontinence) is a major risk.

Training of midwives

Since 2002 Kids for Kids has been funding the training of 2 Village Midwives in every Kids for Kids’ village. These amazing women travel from their villages to El Fasher to the Midwife Training School.   Some may never have left their villages before. They leave their families behind and dedicate 14 months to their training. Those who are illiterate are taught to read and write. 98% of women are illiterate in Darfur – amongst the highest number in the world. Kids for Kids also funded the construction of a Midwives Training School in El Fasher which trains 40 midwives each season.  We are now building Health Centres in our larger villages.

The impact

The difference these young women make is incredible. In one 18-month period our midwives delivered 1057 healthy babies – including twins – and not one mother died in childbirth. 

Could you donate £2000 to train a midwife in Darfur, including her medical kit, uniform and leather sandals?

Or Choose your Gift to support women during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period.