Amref: Empowering African communities from within

Assumpta had always known she wanted to be a midwife¹. In 2009, she obtained a Certificate of Midwifery, but was eager to go beyond the basics. She wanted to learn more to help the local Ugandan women bring life safely into the world. In underdeveloped African communities, nearly 200,000 women die from childbirth complications—80% of which are preventable². But for Assumpta, and many other African women, the cost of higher education was an insurmountable obstacle.

Everything changed in 2013 when Assumpta heard a radio ad for scholarships sponsored by Amref Health Africa and other partners. Through the eLearning Midwives Upgrading Project, women like Assumpta could earn diplomas online at their own pace, without the need to travel or disrupt their work schedules.

Programs like the eLearning Midwives Upgrading Project reflect Amref’s mission to increase sustainable health access to African communities through education and training. Amref Health Africa originated 60 years ago as a small organization dedicated to flying surgeons to remote regions of the continent. They eventually realized that the most effective and empowering way to make an impact was to train local health workers like Assumpta. Currently, Amref’s African-led and African-staffed teams train over 41,000 health workers a year³.

WellReceived believes access to healthcare is a human right. We are excited to donate $3,000 to help Amref continue training community members like Assumpta and transform Africa’s healthcare from within.

Today, Assumpta has built up a reputation as a skilled and confident midwife at the Kabale Regional Referral Hospital, where she works. She regularly mentors students at the teaching hospital, showing them how to recognize and address complicated pregnancies. To Assumpta, and the women she helps, knowledge is the start of a new life.

Footnotes:
1. https://amref.org/success-stories/turning-an-ordinary-midwife-into-a-super-midwife/
2. https://amrefusa.org/what-we-do/maternal-and-child-health/
3. https://amrefusa.org/