Everyone is being involved in maternal and newborn health in TA Jalasi, Mangochi. Check this out.
I think it’s not easy for a young girl to stand among elders in rural Malawi to say something. Let alone about maternal and new born health. This is happening in Mangochi. In the area of TA Jalasi where people in different sectors are being involved in the fight against maternal and newborn deaths. This includes school going children, boys and girls who are out of school, health workers, the chiefs, police officers, teachers, ward counsellors and all. It’s amazing to know that the activist, who is leading this, is well conversant with the facts and figures related to maternal and newborn health in his community. Together with his fellow activists he knows who is pregnant in the community, who is attending antenatal care and not as well as who delivered at the health centre or not.These activists are working together with senior chief Jalasi, to ensure that all pregnant women are delivering at the health facility. By laws have been set. All women delivering at home are forced to pay K2500. Out of this K2000 is kept by the activist safe motherhood committee and used for helping pregnant women who are in need. The remaining K500 is given to the chief as a way of saying sorry. Young girls who had dropped out school are being encouraged to get back to school.More interestingly, every chief in each of the 265 villages is involved. And in each village there is a committee comprising of 10 people. I am sure that a lot of success stories will come out of this village.Watch this space.