FROM THE FIELD

Expectant mothers receive prenatal care and LWR layettes

In Mali, many women receive no medical care during their pregnancies or deliveries. Oftentimes, this leads to health problems for the baby or mother, and sometimes even death.

Assekou Nounkoro, right, is a midwife in the village of Baramandougou, Mali. She received training through an LWR village health project.

Assekou provided prenatal care for the mother in this photo throughout the pregnancy, assisted with the delivery, and now follows up regularly to check the baby's health and administer immunizations. Look closely at the photo. Do you see anything familiar? That's right, the baby is wrapped in a receiving blanket that was included in the LWR layette that Assekou gave the mother after delivery!

In this LWR program, midwives are not just trained, but also equipped with LWR layettes to distribute to mothers after they deliver. This special gift that Assekou has to offer expectant mothers is oftentimes just what it takes to motivate them to participate in prenatal, delivery and postnatal care.

Not all of LWR's material resources are used in emergency and relief situations. Many times they are used as in the example of this layette—to further strengthen the long-term community development work of Lutheran World Relief and our partners. By motivating a mother to seek medical care for herself and newborn baby, both have an increased chance of a healthier, happier life. Not just today as the baby is wrapped up in the receiving blanket—but throughout her life because she got off to a healthy start with the help of Assekou...and LWR Parish Groups throughout the U.S.

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