The traditional birth attendants we have been training since 2012 with Dr. Bob Skankey and now for that last two missions, with Dr. Becky Jones are known in Niger as matrones.

Matrones arriving for their first day of training at 8:30 AM. They are housed and fed in Tuareg tents near the school and clinic where they retreat for a midday meal and siesta from 12:30 to 3:30 and for the night at 6.

Fatima welcomes her “patient” Lalli who has just gone into “labor” (to deliver a pillow) with Abulkou in assistance.

Dr. Becky found films about preparation for a clean birth and complications at birth. These films were in Hausa which is spoken by almost all the matrones and were simple cartoon illustrations.

Everyone got training to use the Blood Pressure cuffs since high blood pressure is a killer for pregnant women. If this is understood in advance of a patient going into labor the matrones are trained to counsel (insist) the patient be near a clinic or hospital for delivery. Those who understood the BP cuffs trained those who did not. In the end—they all passed. No one in the medical field here believes we can train these illiterate women to use the bp cuffs effectively, but we have verified it ourselves and know it is saving lives.
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