I was in Ethiopia from 1 to 10 June.
The country was calm, after an extended period of crisis resulting from ethnic conflict, which made travelling around the countryside nearly impossible during the past year.
In August five more ‘Adopt a Midwife’ students graduated. They are all doing well. This brings the total number of graduates to 41.
Three other students are starting their second year.
The most important goal of this visit was to visit the Health Centres where the ‘Adopt a Midwife’ graduates now work.
On our trip, we took a lot of materials with us for the Health Centres. We also took baby clothes, baby blankets and soap.
After giving birth, the mothers all receive a box containing a blanket, a set of baby clothes and soap. Hopefully, this will encourage more women to give birth in a clinic.

Preparations:

Photo 1: For each Health Centre we prepare boxes containing a hand-knitted blanket, a set of baby clothes, a nursing bra and pants for the mother, and soap.
After giving birth, each mother receives our box.
We hope this will encourage more women to come to the Health Centres to give birth. (a happy box 🙂 )

Photo 2: We brought a suitcase filled with supplies that we had been asked to bring. The suitcase contained blood pressure monitors with a stethoscope, a watch with a seconds’ hand, a headlight and/or solar powered flashlight, plastic aprons, safety goggles (used when giving stitches), soap dispensers, a nail brush, bulb-syringes (used to remove vernix), a thermometer, a tourniquet and beautiful work t-shirts).