Meet Happy and Joel! #NoMomLeftBehind

Meet Happy Awisi and her baby Joel! They live in Togo, West Africa and Happy was kind enough to share about her labor and delivery experience. The Adabawere clinic, where Happy delivered Joel, is currently the only clinic that is available to women who are pregnant in her community. It is well known for having lines of patients waiting around the block well into the evening. Some women never end up going to the clinic for fear that they will not have a place to rest after giving birth. This lack of healthcare access has caused an increase in complications during and after birth for both women and children in Togo.Happy’s experience was no different when she was induced into labor on September 18th by a midwife at the clinic. She recalls that, “The delivery went well, no problems. It was after the delivery that was difficult. I didn’t even have a place to rest.” During the height of malaria season, the clinic has been putting 3-4 kids in a bed at a time. Women and children often receive IV's while lying on the tiled floor, or on the benches on the veranda of the clinic. After Happy gave birth, “They took my baby and asked another woman who was lying down with her newborn if she could move over so there was room for my baby to lie down next to her also. And I sat outside on the terrace. Ah. What could I say? I didn’t have another option.” The 30/30 Project, in partnership with Hope through Health and Construction for Change, is working hard to raise funds to build a new maternity ward addition onto the Adabawere clinic in the coming year! The addition of the maternity ward will not only provide improved quality and access for pregnant women but clear space in the main clinic for more patients to be seen. You can help mothers like Happy by supporting our #NoMomLeftBehind campaign and donating to help fund the new maternity ward. Join us now in making sure that this Mother's Day, No Mom is Left Behind. CLICK HERE TO DONATE.