Our medical clinic for nomads continues to treat several hundred patients each month, but pregnant women in labor typically can’t make the journey to the clinic and instead stay in their encampment giving birth with little or no assistance. This led to one of the highest maternal and infant mortality rates in the world. The foundation launched a traditional birth attendant (called matrone in Niger) training program in November 2011, not just because we saw the need for it but because the nomads asked for medical care in their encampments. Wherever possible, the foundation’s goal is to give the nomads the means and materials to help themselves. With this in mind, medical director, Dr. Bob Skankey created a program to train matrones and health care liaisons in remote nomadic communities. By 2015, the matrones had assisted at over 800 births with no maternal mortalities and no mortalities of children born alive. Dr. Bob at 85 years old decided he would not return and the local staff left to pursue other opportunities, so we found a new team. Now getting ready for their third year the new team has been so successful we have been asked to expand to two new very remote communities.
New team: Pat, Rabi and Dr. Becky
The new team in 2016, updated training for 12 matrones, who reported 166 new births.
Each matron received a satchel filled with essential supplies. All included iron, misoprostil, amoxicillin, albendazole, gloves, delivery pad, sterile blades and cords, solar lights and report forms. Those who qualified included blood pressure cuffs.
Four of the original trained matrones now qualify to be trainers and continue the program whether we are present or not. We have been asked by the American Army, who now have a base in Agadez to participate in their health fair to present maternal health. Our local staff and matrones will do this on their own.
When the program started in 2012, each received a kit with medicine, equipment and a cell phone allowing her to call the nurse at the medical clinic as needed.
Prenatal care emphasized hydration and nutrition including the use of prenatal vitamins and the value of moringa leaves as a supplement.
The need for sanitary technique including a clean birth place, proper hand washing and use of sterile gloves were covered.
Dr. Skankey discussed the three stages of labor and then demonstrated birthing with a pelvic mannequin.
Complications and the use of essential medicines to prevent infection and post partum hemorrhage.
Each midwife was then asked to demonstrate her understanding of the birth process and the use of every piece of equipment and medicine in her bag.
All completed with flying colors and received their graduation certificate and a rotary pin. Many thanks to Rotary club for funding this mission.
The program will continue each year with a mission of the local staff before the rainy (malaria) season to collect reports, distribute mosquito nets and resupply meds and equipment. Each fall a mission of the American medical team will do revision, addition of assistants and expansion to new communities who need it. We have, for the first time been able to compile the most accurate statistics to date in the nomadic community. Our brilliant, illiterate matrones understand from the pictures on the report we created how to make the appropriate mark and from these we are able to understand how our program is working.
Report from Fatima of Aboye (she made the x’s but a literate nephew who was educated at our school at Aboye, wrote her name.
This program began because I had lost many young friends to childbirth and know too many grandmothers raising their orphaned grandchildren. I showed the two year old son of Kiki (below) a photograph of his mother who died while giving birth to him. He had never seen her. He is now 7 years old and healthy, living with his grandmother, but still has no mom. In over 1,200 assisted deliveries we have now lost only five mothers, all died after evacuation to the hospital in Agadez and no child born alive. Thanks to your help at our annual fundraiser–film Roadtrip Niger–we raised enough money to purchase a motorcycle ambulance for quicker evacuations–maybe some of those mom’s who died in hospital could have been saved it they’d gotten there quicker.
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Moussa Boubacar
Your $300 donation includes room and board, student supplies and teacher's salary for a year.$0.00 donated of $300.00 goal -
Buy an animal for a nomad
As a gift for a friend or business associate--what could be better than a goat or a sheep or a donkey or a cow or a camel. A gift that gives twice.$800.00 donated -
Tamesna Center for Nomadic Life
Tamesna Center is the focal point of all our projects--bringing essential services to nomads with fixed facilities on their annual migration route.$1,610.00 donated -
Cataract Mission
Mission to perform cataract surgery for 100 patients$50.00 donated of $12,000.00 goal -
Motorcycle Repair Training
Training program gives opportunities for unemployed nomadic youth to learn a skill and start a small business$3,000.00 donated of $12,000.00 goal -
Toumouchat Moussa
Sponsored by Susan Hyatt until December 2018. Your $300 donation includes room and board, student supplies and teacher's salary for a year.$300.00 donated of $300.00 goal -
Moussa Rabi
Sponsored by Kelli Dochstader until December 2018. Your $300 donation includes room and board, student supplies and teacher's salary.$300.00 donated of $300.00 goal -
Moussa Ibrahim
Sponsored by Betsy Watson until December 2018. Your $300 donation includes room and board, student supplies and teacher's salary for a year.$300.00 donated of $300.00 goal -
Mohamed Ghoumar
Your $300 donation includes room and board, student supplies and teacher's salary for a year.$0.00 donated of $300.00 goal -
Issouf Abderhamane
Your $300 donation includes room and board, student supplies and teacher's salary for a year.$0.00 donated of $300.00 goal -
Ibrahima Atchane
Your $300 donation includes room and board, student supplies and teacher's salary for a year.$0.00 donated of $300.00 goal -
Ghaliou Faretane
Sponsored by Linda and Bert Lamb until December 2018. $300 donation includes room and board, student supplies and teacher's salary for a year.$300.00 donated of $300.00 goal -
Fatima Moussa
Sponsored by Priscilla Brennan until December 2018. Your $300 donation includes room and board, student supplies and teacher's salary for a year.$300.00 donated of $300.00 goal -
Traditional Birth Attendant Training
Training Assists Mothers to Give Birth Safely$8,555.00 donated of $25,000.00 goal -
Drill the Well for Tamesna
The final step for sustainability and to provide a model for all nomadic communities in Niger at the Tamesna Center for Nomadic Life is to drill a deeper well.$125.00 donated of $250,000.00 goal -
Youdou Issouf
Sponsored by Randy Blume until December of 2018. Your $300 donation includes room and board, student materials and teachers' salaries.$600.00 donated of $300.00 goal -
Tandja Mouhamad
Sponsored by Paula Spellman until December 2018 Tandja is now going to junior high school. Your $350 donation covers room, board, student materials and tuition for a year.$350.00 donated of $350.00 goal -
Ahmed Aghali
Sponsored by Per Fasmer until December 2018. $300 donation includes room, board, school supplies and teacher's salary.$300.00 donated of $300.00 goal -
Moussa Ahmed
Sponsored by Jill Townsend until Dec. 2018 $300 donation includes room and board, student supplies and teacher's salary for a year.$300.00 donated of $300.00 goal -
Baye Moussa
Sponsored by Jim Clark until 12-31-18. Your $300 donation includes room and board, student supplies and teacher's salary for a year.$300.00 donated of $300.00 goal -
Mariama Issouf
Sponsored until Dec. 2018 $300 donation includes room and board, student supplies and teacher's salary for a year.$300.00 donated of $300.00 goal -
Mariama Bazo
Sponsored by Ann Sulkovsky--recurring. Your donation includes room and board, student supplies and teacher's salary.$105.00 donated of $300.00 goal -
Fatima Ibrahim
Sponsored by Nan Davis, Bret and Torrey Nicholson until December 2018 $300 donation includes room and board, student supplies and teacher's salary for a year.$300.00 donated of $300.00 goal -
Azara Boutali
Sponsored by Carolyn James until December 2018. $300 donation includes room and board, student supplies and teacher's salary for a year.$300.00 donated of $300.00 goal -
Mohamed Ahmed
Spnosored by Per Fasmer until December 2018-- $300 donation includes room and board, student supplies and teacher's salary for a year.$300.00 donated of $300.00 goal -
Indilik Moussa
Sponsored by Brad and Claire Brian until Dec. 2018 Your $300 donation includes room and board, student supplies and teacher's salary for a year.$300.00 donated of $300.00 goal -
Ibrahim Faretane
Your $300 donation includes room and board, student supplies and teacher's salary for a year.$0.00 donated of $300.00 goal -
Aghaichita Kalili
Sponsored by Barbara Bowman until December 2018. Aghaichita is now going to junior high school. Your $350 donation covers room, board, student materials and tuition.$350.00 donated of $350.00 goal -
Hamadi Moussa Mohamed
Sponsored by Bob Davis until Dec. 2018 $300 donation includes room and board, student supplies and teacher's salary for a year.$300.00 donated of $300.00 goal -
Zeinabou Moussa Mohamed
Sponsored until December 2018 by Jill Townsend-Sorel. Your $300 donation includes room and board, student supplies and teacher's salary for a year.$300.00 donated of $300.00 goal -
Mohamed Farétane
Sponsored by Rebecca Jones until December 2018. Your $300 donation includes room and board, student supplies and teacher's salary for a year.$350.00 donated of $300.00 goal -
Mohamed Ibrahim
Sponsored by Rob and Tyler Davis until December 2018. $300 donation includes room and board, student supplies and teacher's salary for a year.$300.00 donated of $300.00 goal -
Aghali Ibrahim
Sponsored by Charlene Pidgeon until December 2018. Your $300 donation includes room, board, school supplies and teacher's salary for a year.$300.00 donated of $300.00 goal -
Ibrahim Achane
Your $300 donation includes room and board, student supplies and teacher's salary for a year.$0.00 donated of $300.00 goal -
Mohamed Achane
Sponsored by Jim Clark until December 2018. Mohamed is now going to junior high school. Your $350 donation covers room, board, student materials and tuition for a year.$350.00 donated of $350.00 goal -
Mohamed Aghali
Your $300 donation includes room and board, student supplies and teacher's salary for a year.$0.00 donated of $300.00 goal -
Boutali Aghali
Sponsored by Paula Spellman until December 2018. Boutali is now with a family in Ingall going to junior high school. Your $350 donation covers room, board, student materials and tuition for a year.$350.00 donated of $350.00 goal -
Tefest Issouf
Sponsored by Benedicte Schoyen until December 2018. Tefest is now going to junior high school. Your $350 donation covers room, board, student materials and tuition for a year.$350.00 donated of $350.00 goal -
Almoustapha Moussa
Sponsored by Ned Clark until December 2018. Your $350 donation covers room, board, student materials and tuition for a year.$350.00 donated of $350.00 goal -
Mahmoud Ahmed
Sponsored by John and Priscilla Diamond--recurring. $350 donation covers room, board, student materials and tuition for a year.$350.00 donated of $350.00 goal
