Julias' story...
Meet Julias and his Grandmother. Mission Morogoro's contribution to the Maternal Health Mentorship Scheme enabled the presence of the doctor who saved Julias' life. Little Julias is 1 year old. His mother and father are both 18 years old. They live together with 3 children in a 1 room house, which acts at the kitchen, bedroom and living room all at once, with an open fire in the middle. Because of the crowded conditions Julias rolled over in the night into the white hot embers of the fire, causing burns to his back, buttocks and leg. Because the mother and father are very young and very poor, they tried to treat the burns by going to a local chemist to give drugs. A month later and the burn was severely infected, the boy was losing vital fluid though the burn surface, he had developed the most severe form of malnutrition and was finally brought to the hospital, unconscious and hours from death...
A mother's story...
This mother delivered at home (in a mud hut) but because no midwife was present to remove the placenta properly she developed an infection of the uterus after delivery. This is one of the top 5 causes of maternal mortality in Tanzania. She became unwell with abdominal pain and fevers, but because she was able to access healthcare and receive IV antibiotics at Berega she recovered, was well enough to continue breastfeeding in those vital early days for the baby and both mother and baby did well. Mission Morogoro aims to continue to have a direct impact on reducing maternal mortality by working in partnership with Tushikamane. In particular we are focusing on providing transport to enable labouring mothers to access vital medical assistance in emergency situations and contributing to community education programmes.
An inspirational new cookbook has been launched by the churches of Stoke Prior and Wychbold …