Since Dr. Bob Skankey started the program in 2012, we have been training traditional birth attendants at Tamesna. Some have been there from the beginning. When Dr. Becky Jones and her mid-wife sister Pat Manzon took over the program in 2016 it became an all female team with Tamesna clinic director Rabi.
Our all female team of trainers and trainees at Tamesna. From back, Linda Lamb, Azarra, Foulaye, Dinaru, Fatima, Rabi, Amena, Mariama, Rakia, Malou, Aboulkou, Leslie, Pat, Dr. Becky, Lumo, Atouma, Rahamata, Lame, Aghaichita, Hadija.
The training started with three of the experienced matrones going over an illustrated guide to the training prepared by Dr. Becky and Pat. This initial session was to prepare Mariama, Azarra and Fatima to help us and ultimately conduct training on their own.
Dr. Becky explaining antenatal care to the class. This process can be cumbersome since interpretation has to go through four languages.
As a result, re-enactment is often a better method of communication. It often involves some melodrama.
Here Fatima sees “patient” Azarra for her first of four antenatal visits.
Fatima helps Amouna check Aboulkou’s blood pressure.
Amouna delivers Atouma’s “baby” in a re-enactment of a clean, safe birth.
There is a lot of hard work and concentration, but no lack of melodrama…and humor.
Moussa Agolaze, an old friend who has helped us with interpretation on all our trainings has come to understand the training and since he speaks everyone’s language, he has proved valuable in the final testing. Each matrone must show she has understood the program in order to receive her supplies. Moussa has two wives and both his mothers in law happen to be among our best matrones.
When she is certified to have understood the training, each matrone receives a bag of supplies and medicines. Here Foulaye receives her matrones’ bag from Dr. Becky, Pat, Linda, Rabi and Leslie.
Atouma recieves her certificate from Dr. Becky proving she has successfully completed the program.
The matrones had all completed reports which indicated they had assisted at 246 births in the last year, with one maternal mortality (which actually happened in the hospital after evacuation) and four infant mortalities, all of which were born dead.
We are very proud of these hardworking matrones who are making pregnancy and birth safer and saving lives of mothers and babies.
The mission is now ready to expand to a new area of Iferouane–check back or click on follow to get updates on the new posts–
Wow! What amazing work you are all doing. So proud to have worked as a midwife alongside Dr Becky in Gisborne, New Zealand. An incredible woman. Much love to all the matrones
I totally agree–Dr. Becky is a wonder and makes all that hard work fun!