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Spheres of Influence

At Save the Mothers (STM) we believe a multi-disciplinary approach is needed to save some of the 303,000 mothers and three million children who die in the developing world annually due to unsafe childbirth. The burden falls on more than just health professionals; simply building more hospitals and clinics is not the solution. The societies in which mothers live need to be awakened and changed from within. There are five important spheres of influence, along with health care, that have a direct impact on the number of mothers dying

Law

In many developing countries women have no voice and are denied basic rights during their pregnancy. We encourage politicians and lawyers to enter the STM program to improve laws in their countries and ensure that mothers have basic rights. As William Wilberforce rescued slaves from the slave trade in the early 1800’s through the passing of abolition laws in British Parliament, STM works for new laws that ensure mothers receive the care they need during pregnancy.

Education

One excellent way to spread a message is through the education system. We recruit educational leaders who are impacting young minds throughout the schools.

Social Services

In developing countries, change often occurs at the grassroots level through passionate social workers and community activists. We mobilize professionals in social services and equip them to spread the message to their communities.

Media

Journalists help ensure that our message is spread to the widest possible audiences via newsprint radio and television. We equip media professionals to tell the story of mothers dying, and to share how to prevent it from happening.

Faith Communities

Religious leaders play a very important role in both providing and reinforcing positive health behaviours for mothers and their children. Many communities are much more likely to listen to advice of the minister/priest/imam before following the directions of a medical doctor. These religious leaders are being trained in the STM program to educate and empower their communities to improve maternal health. (Picture of STM at all saints church)

Students

We congratulate those who completed their research and have successfully defended their work at the School of Research and Postgraduate Studies.

Beyond MPHL Program – alumni change projects

STMEA in collaboration with Uganda Christian University, trains MPHL students to become game changers to promote safe motherhood using their spheres of influence. Many MPHL alumni are implementing change projects in their communities.

RMNCAH Conference #Save the Mothers

#STMEARMNCAH Conference 2022 #NoMotherOrChildShouldDie 
Over 170 conference delegates gathered physically at Nkoyoyo Hall, Uganda Christian University (UCU), and online. Delegates were from Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Nigeria, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, the USA, Canada among others. The Guest of honour was Hon Margaret Muhanga, State Min of Primary Health Care, Uganda. She attended online and was represented at Nkoyoyo Hall- UCU by Dr Jesca Nsungwa, Commissioner Maternal and Child Health, Ministry of Health.

 

Gladness who describes herself as a servant to her community is an MPHL  alumnus who hails from and works in Tanzania. She is a journalist working as the Coordinator at Crisis Resolving Centre (CRC), whose main goal is to advocate for women and children’s rights. Gladness is also a winner of the 2019 Drivers of change coordinated by the Gender Links (GL) an organized based in South Africa.

Gladness has taken on the responsibility of training fellow journalists in the area of Sexual and Reproductive Health. She targets mainstream and community based journalists in order to increase awareness on maternal and child health issues.

Gladness Hemedi Munuo from Tanzania: A journalist and gender activist based in Tanzania

She says: “In 2019 I trained 29 journalists. These included 10 males and 19 females from electronic, print and digital media. My intention is to ensure that my fellow journalists are provided with information, education on maternal and child health and how to cover these issues in a manner that would draw the attention of decision makers, the community and fellow women. This initiative is aligned to my thesis that focused on media coverage of maternal and child health issues (how journalists report maternal and child health issues). With funding with Gender Links, Gladness was funded to train journalists on sexual reproductive health. This was a great opportunity for me to put in use what I learnt from my MPHL. Gladness trained journalist who are mainly from community radios thus targeting the marginalized people in rural communities.

After the trainings Gladness put in place spaces to allow dialogue on maternal and child health to continue through social media using WhatsApp groups of the trained journalists. 

Gladness says: “I believe that the media is doing a good job regarding the coverage of maternal and child health issues because our government has embarked on building more health centres and renovated regional and district hospitals with maternity wings being improved. At the same time awareness and education to our communities and women have been done through media including SMS messages through the mobile phone.”

Media covered maternal and child health issues addressing early marriages, Gender Based Violence, Female Genital Mutilation, menstrual hygiene, parents among others
Gladness

Maternity Basket Fund - Andrew Koolya from Uganda, MPHL class 2012

has established maternity basket funds in his communities to promote saving money to increase access to maternal and child health services for women.

Andrew is a 2012 STM alumni currently working as the Principal Town Clerk, Mabaale Town Council, Kagadi district Local Government, western Uganda. He developed high passion for mothers and newborns during his train in Master of Public Health Leadership, Uganda Christian University.

Andrew Koolya stands tall as a safe motherhood advocate in his community. Some partners describe Andrew, an alumnus of the Master of Public Health Leadership at Save the Mothers, as a ‘country director’ of several projects. This is because of the magnitude of work he is doing to contribute to saving the lives of mothers and babies in his community in Kagadi and Hoima district.

In his work, Andrew puts emphasis on establishing maternity basket fund in the communities using existing structures to reduce the delay at home and on the road to accessing life-saving services for mothers and babies. Andrew is currently working with 30 community groups in Hoima and Kagadi districts. He also emphasizes the power of working with available resources within the communities.

The maternity basket fund aids mothers in birth preparedness planning in a systematic, regular and secure manner where they save small amounts of money weekly. Each group member saves between UGX 200 to UGX 500 (less than one dollar), weekly in response to what each group has agreed on.  Andrew points out that this money may seem so little. When about 20 members collect this little money weekly, it amounts to money that has been able to save lives. He says: “Sometime women and babies lose lives because they have no access to money which is as little as UGX 3,000 -15,000 (below a dollar to 2 dollars) for transport to the health facility or buy required basics for delivery.”  Andrew encourages existing saving groups to save little money besides the original saving group fund.

Save the Mothers team in Kagadi, Mabaale get a photo moment with hon councilors of Mabaale town Council, Kagadi district.

Andrew is using his sphere of influence to drive life-saving change. As a town clerk, Andrew lobbied for increased funding for maternal and child health at the community level through the maternity basket fund. As a result, in May 2022 Mabaale Town Council approved, UGX 12 million (3,270 dollars) in the July 2022 to June 2023 budget towards the maternity basket fund. Of the 12 million, the council already has 3.2 million (870 dollars). The council will mobilize the rest of the money from supporters and well-wishers of safe motherhood.

Mabaale Town Council councilors in June 2022 passed a budget which includes UGX 12 million (3,270 dollars) to support women groups with maternity basket fund aligned to the council RMNCAH Initiatives. Andrew Koolya MPHL lobbied for this fund. Kudos Andrew and the entire Mabaale Town Councilors for making purposeful efforts to support MCH efforts at the grassroots to reduce the first delay at home and on the road during pregnancy or time for childbirth.

Group members with MCH needs borrow money and pay back with an interest of 1%. The beneficiaries of the maternity basket fund explain that this fund supports members with money for transport to a referral facility, childbirth supplies such as mama kit and food while in hospital. Mama kit may include cotton, receiving sheets, baby cloths, Macintosh, gloves among
Andrew Koolya

“Since the start of this course, I have been involved in information, communication and education campaigns for behaviour change.

I have currently been involved in the program “The Real Man” serial radio drama. It is geared to the promotion of family planning use among men. We target men so that they get involved in the communication about family planning with their spouses, take decisions together as well as supporting them in the use of contraceptives.”

Uhawenimana Thierry Claudien

Soon after enrolling for her Masters in Public Health Leadership with Save the Mothers, Winnie Mutaze started an NGO, Tooro Health Initiative. The NGO whose goal is to reduce HIV/AIDS infections, maternal and neonatal morbidity, mortality and Gender Based Violence is based in Kabarole.

Some of Tooro Health Initiative’s objectives are to increase awareness and utilization of contraceptives to reduce unwanted pregnancies and maternal morbidity.

ToHI conducts outreaches and trainings in schools, faith based organisations such as churches.

Mutaze Winifred

Graduated in 2007. He is currently serving as Chairman, District Service Commission-Kasese district. Eliphaz has worked with his community to start safe motherhood funds in Maliba, Kitswambwa and Kyabarungira. These revolving savings schemes have ensured that women have a source of livelihood and are in position to pay for their medical bills. This has significantly improved the maternal health in the three localities.

As an advocate for safe motherhood, he has played an active role in attracting and recruiting of health personnel in health facilities in Kasese district, in order to offer the needed skilled attendance to the mothers.

Eliphaz Muhindi

Graduated in October 2009. His background is in marketing. He has promoted the use of Insecticide Treated Mosquito Nets by mothers through aggressive marketing.

“The STM Program has deepened my appreciation of the challenges faced in the fight to achieve safe motherhood. The realization that it does not take so much to make a difference has enhanced my desire to be one of those who will make a contribution in the quest to save mothers.
I have developed a keen interest in fostering partnerships with the private commercial sector to pursue the goals of safe motherhood.”

Allan has made the initial steps in creating awareness of the issues surrounding safe motherhood among his peers and colleagues in the marketing field and in the Rotary movement. One immediate outcome is that one STM graduate, an MP, has initiated new legislation to get maternal care formally in Uganda’s budget for the first time.

Allan Were

Graduated in October 2008. She now works with Integrated Community Initiatives (ICOBI), as an HIV/AIDS Capacity Building Officer. She is regularly featured on the local radio to sensitize the communities about safe moth- erhood, and particularly the need for PMTCT (Preventing Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV/AIDS).

She has trained a number of community health workers about PMTCT and other aspects of safe motherhood. Finally, she regularly meets the district leaders to advocate for improved maternal health services in her community.

Rosette Tushemereirwe

“I believe that a long journey begins with one step. Back in my community, in my church through the women’s ministry once a month, we come together to fellowship and share our issues including safe motherhood.

We share one-on-one. So I share the best I can. I talked to some women who are in the medical field, and I said, “As we preach this month, let’s give information about safe motherhood.

On one of the Sundays, we had a health screening day free for everyone. There was a lady who was expecting, and she had high blood pressure but she didn’t know. The doctors gave her first aid and thereafter called a relative to come accompany her to a hospital.”

Lydia Kaleli Mwikai

Save the Mothers

Uganda Christian University
Plot 67-173, Mukono Hill,
Bishop Tucker Road
P.O. Box 4, Mukono, Uganda
Telephone:+256-312350840
Email Us: EAdirector@savethemothers.org

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Save the Mothers promotes maternal health in the developing world through education, public awareness and advocacy. Based in Uganda and North America, Save The Mothers is part of a global movement to improve the health of mothers and babies.

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