Fact Of The Day

In countries where most maternal deaths occur,

a package of essential services is estimated to 

cost less then US $1.50 per person.

 

~ "World Health Report 2005: Make Every Mother and Child Count,” WHO (2005)

Quote Of The Day

"Investing in the potential of women and girls

is the smartest investment we can make.

It is connected to every problem

on everyone's mind around the world today."

-Hillary Clinton

Give A Gift that Keeps on Giving!!

Quote Of The Day

“When women thrive, all of
society benefits and
succeeding generations are
given a better start in life.”

-Kofi Annan

Fact Of The Day

Developing countries account for 99% of

maternal deaths.

Why Women?

Why are we helping Women? Here are some of the stats.

•  Woman’s income more likely than a man’s to go toward food, education, medicine, and other family needs.

•  Women in many countries make important family decisions about nutrition, healthcare, and use of resources.

• One girl in seven in developing countries marries before the age of 15.

• Children have a 14 times higher chance of dying in first year of life without a mother. 

• Women contribute to economic growth; their UNPAID work at home and on the farm equals about 1/3 of global GDP.

Fact Of The Day

For every ONE woman 

who dies, 

20 develop debilitating 

injuries, infections or disease

related to or exacerbated 

by pregnancy and childbirth.

www.wwhi.org

WWHI in Senegal

Exciting news! Women’s World Health Initiative continued its efforts on the ground in Senegal. Zendina Mostert, a WWHI board member, travelled to Senegal to investigate the needs of the people in our focus district, Saraya. A needs assessment helped identify various factors that affect maternal mortality, medical services that are currently available to women, and to become acquainted with the area, people, traditions, and cultural mores.
Overall, a total of eight villages were visited and local
women and men, doctors, midwives, health care workers,
and leaders were interviewed to better understand the
complexity of the issues.

The data gathered will be invaluable in informing the next
step in addressing the needs of women in Senegal.
Currently, the data is being analyzed to identify areas of
needs. It’s an exciting time for WWHI; stay tuned for more
information about the needs assessment.

Fact Of The Day

One woman 

still dies nearly 

EVERY MINUTE of EVERY DAY

from treatable or preventable complications 

related to pregancy and childbirth.

Please spread the word. 

Tell your family and friends about www.wwhi.org

Spread The Word!!!

There are a vast array of things you can do to help and be a part of this worthwhile cause. We want to let everybody in the world know about maternal mortality - but we cannot do it without you!

Here are a few things you can do to help spread the word! You can do all of it or just one thing but every little bit helps!

1) EMAIL - Tell everyone about our cause. We want everyone to know why it's important to help maternal mortality and information is the only way we can educate everyone.
Send a quick email to your friends and family saying - "Check out this organization that helps address maternal mortality. It's called Women's World Health Initiative - please check out their website at: www.wwhi.org and pass it on to just 3 other people."


2) FACEBOOK - find us and click "LIKE". This will appear on your facebook feed and let others know this is a cause you care about. You can find the link below.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=684725192&v=wall&story_fbid=152275708139979#!/pages/Womens-World-Health-Initiative/135391901536?ref=ts

3) TWITTER - follow us on Twitter and tell others to find out what we're doing! The link is found below.
https://twitter.com/wwhinonprofit

Spread the word!!!

Fact Of The Day

The UN is promoting eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) that range from halving extreme poverty to halting the spread of HIV/AIDS and providing universal primary education, all by the target date of 2015.

These goals were developed by the UN and its partners to form a blueprint agreed to by all the world’s countries and all the world’s leading development institutions. The goals have galvanized unprecedented efforts to meet the needs of the world’s poorest people. Goal #5 specifically relates to maternal health with two measurable targets: 1. Reducing by 75% the maternal mortality rate and 2. achieving universal access to reproductive health.

Source: http://un.org/milleniumgoals

www.wwhi.org

$30,000 From Chase!! Thank You!

WWHI has been hand-picked by the Chase Community Advisory Board to receive an additional $30,000! This has been publicized widely already. Only 17 organizations were selected and we were one of them. Thanks to Seraphine Kapsandoy, Board Member, for helping me to write the grant.

The Chase Advisory Board includes people like Eva Longorio, David Robinson etc. Congratulations to everyone!!! Now we are primed to do real good for the women in Senegal.

Please see these and other sites.

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/chase-community-giving-advisory-board-names-17-additional-charities-to-receive-grants-2010-10-07?reflink=MW_news_stmp

http://apps.facebook.com/chasecommunitygiving/?src=status100710_0600

Dear WWHI Supporters,

Below you will find the results of an economic survey completed in Utah surveying the non-profit sector. The outcomes were grim. This information is important to us, as we are part of this community but I post this with hopes to be one of the organizations that does not see the effects of the economic tightening. We are an innovative, hardworking group that is willing to work and investigate unprecedented areas to find funds which will ultimately aid suffering women and children.

I know already, there have been great ideas. The message and focus of WWHI is a strong, convincing message. I am proud of all our supporters' and volunteers' efforts. Let's continue...and ultimately be the anomaly!

Sincerely,

Dana Allison
Executive Director
Women's World Health Initiative

LATEST FINANCIAL STUDY PREDICTS A LOOMING CRISIS FOR MANY UTAH NONPROFITS

SALT LAKE CITY, UT, October 6, 2010 —For the past two years the Community Foundation of Utah and
Wells Fargo have been surveying state’s charities to see how the nonprofit sector was faring during the
recession. The studies have tracked the impact of a perfect storm – decreases in giving and more demand
from individuals and families in need. 178 nonprofits responded to the survey.

The foundation’s latest study covers the first nine months of 2010 and reveals that as many as a third of
the state’s nonprofit organizations are in danger of closing their doors. Why? A continued decline in
donations, limited if any reserve funds, and a continued increase in demand for assistance.Nearly three years of a down economy have taken a profound toll on Utah’s nonprofits. The continued
declines in giving have depleted operating reserve capital, meaning that too many nonprofits are, like
their clients, living month to month. Donations from corporations, foundations, government contracts
and individuals continued to erode in 2010.

• 64% of the agencies have seen donations decrease since the start of 2010.
• 75% of health and human service agencies say donations have decreased since the beginning of
  the year perhaps, pointing to donor fatigue as the recession wears on.
• 14% of these agencies have no money in the bank. Anecdotal evidence from foundations has
  confirmed an uptick in ‘pay day loans’ to help agencies make payroll. Other foundations report
  that they have been asked by their long term partners to push an expected annual gift forward,
  or to make an additional emergency gift.
• 58% have enough money on hand to keep their doors open 3 months or less.

The need for assistance has not decreased.

• 78% of all reporting agencies and 92% of health and human service providers say that the
  demand for their services and programs rose again in 2010.
• 68% of rural organizations say “The people we serve continue to suffer the impact of the
  recession”

Given that funds continue to decline and need continues to increase, the stress on nonprofit leadership,
including staff, executive directors and their boards is considerable. This survey found evidence of the
results of three years of unrelenting pressures, including staff and board burn out. However, Utah’s
nonprofit leaders share a deep passion for their causes and their organizations. Pockets of
encouragement exist in all sectors.

• 69% of the agencies have added new donors since the start of the recession.
• 65% have started or enhanced a new media strategy, using the web to reach new audiences.
• Arts organizations report a steady increase in ticket sales each of the past three years. This may
  reflect great efforts to increase awareness of the vital importance these cultural institutions play in
  our community as well as increased marketing efforts.

The Community Foundation of Utah is working to bring new resources to nonprofits by ‘engaging the
giving minds’ of Utah’s entrepreneurs. The need for innovation is now, and the results can, as this
Executive Director wrote, ensure a bright future for the organizations that make Utah a wonderful place
to grow businesses, families and community. “What's amazing is that the lack of financial resources has forced us to re-evaluate everything we're
doing and refine our programs and plans and finances. Because of the recession, our organization is
100 times better and our programs are going to be FAR more efficient. We've learned that money
isn't necessarily our biggest bottleneck, and have learned to work around it. I've never been so
optimistic about our future.”

Q & A With Our New Chair of the Board

Carri Hulet was recently elected to chair the WWHI Board of Directors We asked her a few questions to get to know her a bit better.

What does your new job with WWHI entail?

That is exactly what I am trying to figure out! As a new organization there is so much we are still working out, but I think at the end of the day the Chair of the Board is responsible for keeping the organization on course to do as much good as it can. This means making sure the Board of Directors is supporting the thoughtful, purpose-driven development and implementation of programs with strategic guidance and adequate resources.

What do you do when you're not working on WWHI stuff?

I work as a facilitator and mediator with The Langdon Group, a public participation firm based out of Salt Lake City and Boise. In my free time I love to travel, snow ski, camp and backpack, read, cook, and generally enjoy my friends and family.

What motivates you to be involved with a non profit?

Gratitude. I have been immensely fortunate throughout my life to be healthy and strong and to live in safe communities surrounded by good people and opportunities. I want to share that.

How did you get involved with WWHI?

It was pretty simple. Dana shared her vision with me and I was hooked. I started out working on fundraising and helping to find and manage volunteers.

What is it about WWHI's mission that speaks to you?

The grassroots focus on women and their ability to change their own communities. I am convinced that educating and empowering women is the key to solving the most difficult problems in the developing world, from poverty to terrorism.

What is one of your favorite WWHI experiences so far?

I will always remember the first time I saw our Mother's Day video. Suddenly everything we had been working on seemed to come together in this simple, beautiful message. I also have nearly daily "favorite" experiences with our volunteers. I am continually thrilled by their dedication, despite their very busy lives, to give their time, energy, and talents to the organization. They are remarkable.

WHAT WWHI IS DOING TO HELP (Part 3 of 4)

WWHI believes women are fundamentally linked to the success of any society and to human progress on a much broader scale. By integrating economically driven incentives with simple medical interventions, Women’s World Health Initiative has created a unique model that will address the sustainability problems other models have faced. In this way we will accomplish our mission:
Mission Statement:
WWHI invests in and educates women in vulnerable populations to change
their own communities by building sustainable local health care systems focusing on decreasing

maternal and infant mortality and early detection of preventable disease.

Organizational Goals:
1. Decrease maternal and infant mortality in Saraya District, Senegal by 75% (aligned with the
United Nations Millennium Goal 51).
2. Increase number of skilled healthcare workers within targeted villages.

3. Train local physicians and healthcare workers to increase OB surgical skills.
4. Develop an economic model that allows access to local healthcare through a sustainable copayment model as well as a finance-based incentive model to pay salaries of trained workers.

5. Gather and evaluate quantitative and qualitative research data to ensure program efficacy 

6. Replicate the model in other regions.

You can help us make real change for these women and children by contributing to this effort and being a part of the resolution. You can find out more information on our website www.wwhi.org

Fact Of The Day

More than one-half of women who give
birth each year do not make the recommended
four antenatal visits and do not
deliver in a health facility, increasing the
risk to their health and that of their
newborns.

Source: http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/FB-AIU-Africa.pdf

www.wwhi.org

WHY SHOULD YOU CARE? (Part 2 of 4 Series)

Women are viewed as the lesser of the two genders in most countries. The domino effect of this cultural problem trickles down to the future generations to come. I came across this extremely good article that explains WHY you should care. This is an amazing read. I am going to briefly summarize it today in the post but you can find the entire article here: http://www.wwhi.org/site/images/docs/whywomen.pdf

Progress is achieved through women. It is as simple as that. In the world today - women make up close to 50% of the world's population but only own 1% of the world's wealth - have a 10% share in the global income and occupy only 14% of the leadership positions in the private and public sector. Not only are these staggering statistics alarming - there are almost 900 million adults worldwide who can’t read or write and 2/3 of these adults are women.

Despite all this - the welfare of women is not an issue that most countries see as a priority. We know that the world's future depends greatly on the contribution of women. Think of how many women have been an integral part of your life. There are too many women and young girls that are "unable to participate in a wide-range of economic opportunities and subjected to strict gender bias" Unfortunately women and young girls are seen as "unworthy of investment or protection".

We know that women and young girls are worth the investment and definitely worth protecting. We need to protect the future of the next generation and if we don't address these issues right now - the future is not only dim - but will be in a state of utter chaos. We need to care - because there are literally thousands of womens lives who depend on us caring.

What We Want To Accomplish

In rural Senegal, the average age of a girl when she has her first child is 12-14 years old. She is a child, having a child and worse, she is most likely doing it without any medical help. These young women contribute to the disproportionately high number of pregnant women in Africa who never live to become mothers. Our concern isn’t only for the young women who don’t live long enough to raise their children, but also for the children they carry. One in twenty children die during child birth in rural Senegal and few survive if their mother is not alive in the first year.

Many organizations have attempted to decrease the perilously high and devastating rates of maternal death. However, despite their efforts there has been little or no decrease in maternal deaths worldwide. This low effectiveness has led us, WWHI, to seek alternative ways to increase local sustainability, capacity, and efficacy of much needed medical interventions. We have developed a model that combines a community-based approach with a uniquely incentive-based finance model.

THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!

It's OFFICIAL.

We did it everyone!!!  We ranked at number 167 out of 200 charities. 

THANK YOU EVERYONE!!!!

Thank you for your vote - your time - and for believing in our cause.  We could not have done this without you.
 
THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!

Thank you to bloggers who blogged about our cause and spread the word. Thank you to the WWHI team who worked tirelessly around the clock. Thank you to CHASE BANK for contributing $20,000 towards Maternal Mortality. There will be so much good that will happen with this donation and we will be well on our way to meeting our goals.

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU.

Your willingness to help women all over the world has paid off.

We did it. 

It's OFFICIAL.

Just a few clicks of your mouse...

Chase Community Giving is back to give away another $5 million, and you help decide which 200 local charities receive donations.

On July 13, they’ll announce 200 winning charities

• One charity will receive $250k
• 4 runners-up will receive $100k
• 195 others will receive $20k

Please vote for WWHI! Click here  to vote!

WHY WE DO IT (Part 1 of 4 Series)

I wanted to address some of the really important issues surrounding Maternal Mortality - so this is part 1 of 4 series. Keep checking back to read the other posts that go along with this series. 

I came across an article on the WHO website. I thought I would re-iterate some of what the article said and also post a part of the article, as this is the reason WHY we do what we do. The question posted in the article was - WHY DO SO MANY WOMEN STILL DIE IN PREGNANCY OR CHILDBIRTH?

Every minute, at least one woman dies from complications related to pregnancy or childbirth. What does that mean exactly? 

That means 529 000 women die each year. Okay, well what does THAT mean?  Well, lets bring it home. 

529, 000 women dying each year is like all of the city of Mesa, Arizona dying each year. Or Tampa, Florida or Long Beach, California and even Atlanta, Georgia. Each of these cities have around 500,000 people living in it. Yes. It's a staggering number. In addition, for every woman who dies in childbirth, around 20 more suffer in injury, infection or disease - approximately 10 million women each year. That is one-third of the country Canada's population.

Well what are the medical issues? Well here are the facts from the WHO:
Five direct complications account for more than 70% of maternal deaths: haemorrhage (25%), infection (15%), unsafe abortion (13%), eclampsia (very high blood pressure leading to seizures – 12%), and obstructed labour (8%). While these are the main causes of maternal death, unavailable, inaccessible, unaffordable, or poor quality care is fundamentally responsible. They are detrimental to social development and wellbeing, as some one million children are left motherless each year. These children are 10 times more likely to die within two years of their mothers' death.

THIS IS NOT JUST A WOMEN'S ISSUE. SHARE THE FACTS WITH THOSE AROUND YOU. You can read the rest of the article at http://www.who.int/features/qa/12/en/index.html

Cheers,

Eujean

Take Our Cause With You

Take our cause with you and help spread the awareness of maternal mortality.

All you have to do is COPY and SAVE the image above. Then go to the "Layout" section of your blog (if you're using blogspot) and "Add Gadget". Then click on "Picture" and then click on "browse" and find the picture in the place you stored it. Click on it and click "Open". Then click "SAVE" on the button on the Layout section of your blog. Don't forget to click SAVE or else your blog won't know that you added this picture.

TAKE OUR CAUSE WITH YOU. BE A PART OF WWHI.

WOMEN DELIVER CONFERENCE

Here is an update of what WWHI is doing:

WWHI will be attending the June 2010 Women Deliver Conference in Washington D.C. (The conference funds were not from the WWHI funds) Women Deliver is a global advocacy organization bringing together voices from around the world to call for action against maternal death. You can check out more information at www.womendeliver.org  A few of the things that they will be addressing are Women and Power, Strategies to address STDs, Analyzing Progress etc. We are excited to learn and to be a part of this conference. We know and understand that Maternal Mortality is an issue that must be supported by the world. It cannot be helped by just one single organization or country. We must work together, share together and help together in providing solutions that are sustainable and effective. 

To find out more about the Women Deliver Conference you can check out their website at www.womendeliver.org

A Note From Canada

Hello bloggers! I am new to the blog so I thought I would introduce myself first. My name is Eujean Peterson and my husband (Michael Peterson) and I are so excited to be a part of Women's World Health Initiative.

It is certainly an issue that we are passionate about as we have a beautiful daughter who came into the world via C-section - and we are so grateful to the Doctors who delivered her safely. If you are reading this right now - you have come into the world safely due to an amazing woman and through the knowledge and power of modern medicine. Unfortunately, this is not the case in all parts of the world. Fortunately, there is now a charity that is able to give both the gift of knowledge and the power of modern medicine to women in all parts of the world. Women's World Health Initiative is different from any other charity out there right now.


WWHI will be following through the process of empowering women and helping them - EVERY STEP OF THE WAY. Michael and I feel so honoured to be a part of this important effort. I know that every contribution you make - whether it's by simple emailing others to let them know about WWHI - or joining us on Facebook - or if you feel that you want to contribute financially once or every month - you will be taking steps with the women WE help together. Follow us on this blog and share with others the good news that WWHI is definitely a cause that everyone will want to be a part of.

Don't forget to FOLLOW us by clicking the top right button on this blog! I promise to write interesting posts about issues that are important to you.


Cheers,
Eujean

The Forgotten Girls.

I have seen great travesties in my travels. The victims are diverse. They speak different languages, are from different cultural and religious backgrounds, have different levels of education...but the one thing they share is gender. Girls are viewed, in most parts of the world, to have value in only two things: 1) hard domestic labour and 2) childbearing. Girls who are born into families in rural Senegal are especially prone to these designations. The average age of marriage is 12 - just before puberty. Most of the marriages are polygamous and are arranged. The girl is bought and paid for with no voice or opinion. She works hard until she menstruates. Then this girl is considered ready to fulfill her second duty - motherhood.

These girls have a 5 times higher risk of dying due to pregnancy complications. This is a 5 times higher than the already perilously high risk for women in their 20's. They are children. These girls are simply following the path that their mother and grandmother did before them.

We must break the cycle. Give these girls a voice of power. How? How can generations of tradition and belief change? The answer is not simple, but it is possible - keep the mothers alive and empower them with economic contributions and education opportunities. By resourcing these girls with opportunity, their value will move beyond mules and baby machines. They will produce goods and money for their families. Thus giving them power.

Do not forget these silent sufferers. Remember these forgotten girls.

Why This Year My Mom is Getting a Gift From WWHI

Written By Jennie Vuich, WWHI Volunteer Stafff

Last year my family didn’t celebrate Mother’s Day. We were too busy mourning the loss of the heart and soul of our family, my grandmother. This amazing woman taught me to be strong,courageous, giving, hopeful, and most importantly to be myself.

She showed me that laughter, especially when shared, can help even in the darkest times. I also learned from her that it’s okay to cry, it makes us human.

I saw from her how to handle everything life throws at you with grace and humility. I still want to be like her when I grow up.

How lucky am I to have someone like that to aspire to? Shouldn’t all girls?

While last year my grief and anger kept me from realizing how fortunate I am to have been able to know my grandmother for 28 years, this year Women’s World Health Initiative is giving me the opportunity to honor her and all she taught me.

My mom will get these flowers and a card and another mother will get to live. What could be a better tribute to the beautiful women who have shaped my life?

My Own Mother

My name is Danielle. I am a member of WWHI's Advisory Committee and this is my mother. She will be one of the lucky recipients to get a gift from our Mother's Day campaign this year.

I was adopted as a baby. So, I have the unique experience of having two mothers. While I am thankful for the brave unknown woman who carried me for nine months and then actually physically produced me, this is the woman who raised me, fed me, taught me, loved me and continues to always be there for me. Whether it was letting me move back in while I was between apartments or driving an hour to hang out with me after a broken heart, she is always there for me when I need her.

My mother is beautiful, smart, fun, dependable and kind. I am thankful for her everyday and learn more and more what a wonderful gift she is. A big 'Hurray!' to all the mothers out there. To those who carried children, those who raised them and even those who aren't our actual mothers, but have taken us under their wing, thank you! We love you!

Donation Update...

Here is a quick update on the success of our Mother’s day donation campaign so far: to date we have raised close to $500 in donations! Not a bad start but I certainly believe we can step up our efforts and do more. Remember, every dollar counts and brings us one step closer to giving life.

Mother’s Day will soon be here and for all you procrastinators out there, here is your opportunity to find your mother a great gift that also honors motherhood. Remember to get your ordering in by May 3^rd.

Check out www.wwhi.org to order your gift now!

Melissa's Story

Hello WWHI readers. My name is Melissa and I have been invited to share my birth story with all of you. I relate to WWHI's mission because I believe no mother giving birth should be alone. Hopefully you'll enjoy my story.

My son was born on August 7^th 2009. He is such a blessing to my family and me. Every day is full of excitement. Without the care that he and I received I am not entirely sure that we would have survived to be here today. When my son was born he went into shock and refused to breath. It took a team of nurses and doctors to get him to breath. Several hours later they brought my son to me so I could feed him. While he was Brest feeding, it caused my uterus to contract and as a result I hemorrhaged. The baby was taken away from me and within minutes I had about six nurses and two doctors working on me, trying to get the bleeding to stop, they were prepping me for surgery. I remember I almost blacked out, things were spinning, but I was able to hold on. They finally got the bleeding to stop and I did not need surgery after all, I ended up losing about a litter of blood total, it took about five months before I felt like myself again.

I know millions of women go through much worse then what I went through, but I feel that if the women and girls in other parts of the world that are less fortunate then our country the mortality rate could be a lot lower, and in these rural parts of the world it wouldn’t be a time of morning, but rather a time of happiness and joy. If we could do the simple act of helping women and young girls who are in desperate need for knowledge and support, just think how that action can have a ripple effect, not just on the women or girls you help, but you will be helping a family, a linage, and a society to become better and stronger as time goes on.

Why Give...

The opportunity to give someone their mother back is rare and priceless, never pass up such an opportunity.

Necklace of Hope

We have drawn a lucky winner....

Corinne! Please send me an email to candace at wwhi dot org and we'll get you set up with your free necklace! Thanks everyone for entering.

Corinne said...

I would choose the "hope" necklace. I think it's really cute and love the message.

APRIL 20, 2010 1:40 PM

We're hoping to do another give away soon, so check back for another chance to win!

P.S. Here for the first time? We are really jazzed about our Mother's Day Campaign--this necklace is one of the gifts you can give your mom for a donation to WWHI. Check it out!

KSL 5 Coverage of WWHI Mother's Day Campaign

Video Courtesy of KSL.com

Giving on Faith

By Carri Hulet

My voluntary job with WWHI is to raise money. We need it, and someone's gotta do it, so I'm thankful for a truly amazing group of volunteers that have rallied to make it happen. But it's hard at first. We are getting off the ground and I freely admit that I dream of the day when we will have years of evidence and experience behind us to show that WWHI's efforts actually do decrease maternal mortality in the most dire circumstances. I know that will happen, and someday we will have to do less begging and cajoling, less "leveraging" of friendships, and with any luck we will have more to offer our supporters than the proverbial warm fuzzies and a virtual bear hug.

Perhaps. Perhaps there will be some things that get easier. But even as I play out my fantasies of fatter times ahead, I can't help but be grateful for the privilege of being one of the first to ask when the giver has no less noble motivation than sheer generosity and kindness. When we ask someone to help us do something we can't prove we will do, the offering in return is nothing short of sacred.

Today, we feel the weight of every donated coin; the sacrifice of every volunteer hour. As we plan out our research efforts this summer, then look ahead in the future to building a school, recruiting trainers, and educating and supporting the student practitioners, we feel bound to spend every dollar in a way that does honor to the hope with which it was given.

In a way, I feel our donors are showing the same kind of faith and confidence in us that every mother shows as she invests early in the potential of her children. Thanks moms. And thanks donors. We'll do you proud.

WWHI Donate...

By now many of you realize the Women's World Health Initiative has launched a Mother's Day campaign to help bring awareness and raise money for our cause as well as provide the opportunity to give your mother a thoughtful gift this Mother's Day. For those of you not in the know about this special campaign I suggest you check our http://www.wwhi.org to learn more. If you have any questions about donating or how you can support WWHI email info@wwhi.org.

Societal Integration

Paternalism has become a "vogue" word within the nonprofit world. In the nonprofit setting, paternalism is always used when describing people from a wealthy, familiar culture, making decisions of what is right or good for another people or culture. This is always a difficult balance for organizations that are run by people who care and want to help, but forget to ask the stakeholders (those for whom the initiative is intended to help) what it is that they need/want. This integration of stakeholder needs with providers' resources is what ensures sustainability and change.

Women's World Health Initiative is determined to facilitate, not drive, change in vulnerable communities. Later this year, we will be taking a group of committed individuals to meet with, survey, inquire of, observe, and learn from intended stakeholders (mothers and children and families). We will thoroughly research birthing practices, beliefs related to death and disease, current healthcare practices, religious motivations etc. All the aspects of our society here that motivate us, is not any different or less important to communities in Senegal.

Sustainability and motivation for change is achieved by mutual respect and acknowledgement of autonomy. Communities are the means of change. WWHI is the means of support. Help us to continue these sustainable models of improvement by becoming a supporter of our efforts.

A Give Away

How would you like this pretty little thing?How would you like to give this to your mom for mother's day?
How would you like to give this pretty little thing to your mom for mothers day AND at the same time help save the life of a mother across the world?

It sounds like a fantastic idea to the WWHI team...which is why we are doing a special Mother's Day campaign where you can give a donation to WWHI in honor of your mother, and we will mail her a gift of your choice--you can choose this necklace from PrettyLittleMe or there are many other options. A card with the gift explains your donation and your gift to her this Mother's Day. Yep, it's pretty much a recipe to a worry-free, feel-good gift.

Well, we'd like to give you a little incentive just to check out what your mom could be getting this year...and we're going to bribe you by giving away one of these necklaces for free! How would you like to win this necklace?? Here's how you become eligible:

1-Visit wwhi.org and look at the classy, hip and sweet gifts we are offering to send your mothers.

2- Leave a comment on this post by Wednesday, April 21st, saying which gift you would choose for your own mother, sister or woman in your life. The winner of the necklace will be randomly selected and announced the following day.

Mothers--They are worth it!

Miriam's Story.

Why is Women's World Health Initiative needed? The answer? Because of a girl named, Miriam.

Miriam is a 13 year old girl who was married as the third wife to a much older man. She is pregnant. She is malnourished and has had several bouts of malaria that she barely survived. She starts to labour and is left alone to give birth. For 5 days she suffers, but her pelvis, because of her young age and malnutrition, is too small to allow the baby to pass through the canal. After 5 days of excruciating pain and exhaustion, she and the baby both die, alone.

Miriam's story is heard and replicated among thousands of young women throughout the world. For every girl/woman who dies every minute during childbirth, another 20 suffer from debilitating injury from complications. We can not continue to stand by while others needlessly suffer. We can help. You can help!

Giving Back to your Mom

Have you decided what you're getting your mother for Mother's Day? Here at WWHI, mothers have a special place in our heart. We wanted to help you do something special for your mother, and other mothers around the world.

If your mom likes chocolate, nuts, jewelry or flowers, and you think she'd appreciate a donation to WWHI in her honor, stay tuned for more details! Our Mother's Day Campaign is about giving to your mother, and helping another.

National Women's Health Week

While Women's World Health Initiative is raising awareness and funds on behalf of women across the world, we recognize that every woman--living in rural Africa or urban California--deserves to be healthy.

National Women's Health Week is a week-long health observance happening one month from now. It's coordinated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office on Women's Health (OWH). National Women’s Health Week empowers women to make their health a top priority.

OWH is encouraging women to make appointments with their doctors and take small steps to becoming healthier...like answering questions like these: Do you know how often you should get your blood pressure checked? How about when you should get your next tetanus shot? Mammogram? Pap test? Check this chart out from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to find out what type of health checkups you and your loved ones need, and get a head start on National Women's Heatlh Week--and your path to good health!

How Womens World Health Initiative Began

Women’s World Health Initiative’s Founder, Dana Allison, has always been active in informing herself about and defending women’s rights. After studying and observing the devastating effects a community feels when a mother dies unnecessarily during childbirth, Dana began researching effective strategies to make an impact.

Her research led her to the understand that there were correlated risk factors that increased chances for a mother to die during childbirth; developing countries, rural communities, uneducated populations, early marriage, lack of trained birth attendants, and others.

After meeting with and traveling to his country, Senegal, Dr. Youssoupha Ndiaye and Dana collaboratively developed a plan to decrease maternal and infant mortality rates in rural Senegal. Today, WWHI continues to collaborate with other Senegalese physicians, such as Dr. Aziz Kasse, by developing and innovating in simple early detection methods to save the lives of women, and foster community growth.

This blog is a place for us to discuss relevant statistics about women's rights, child-bearing and challenged rural communities, learn from other non profits and organizations making a difference in the world, and hopefully help further our own cause and raise funds.