Our Stories
Anguganak Healthy Motherhood
By Debbie Butters
On Tuesday 7th of May our Christian midwifery team from HBBC returned to Anguganak, motivated by stories like this one from Bernadette who lives in a small village perched on a high ridge above Anguganak. The escarpment is called 15C because of its steep bush track with 15 corners.
Bernadette is a Village Birth Attendant (VBA) and has attended four of our Safe Motherhood workshops in Anguganak. Bernadette is trusted by her community and she recalls recently being asked to assist a labouring mother. Bernadette shares, “The mother was giving birth to her third baby, but it was taking a long time. I collected my birth kit from home and then encouraged the mother to change positions as this can help when labour is going too slow. The baby boy was born but then the placenta didn’t follow, and the mother started to bleed a lot. I rubbed the fundas (top of the uterus) but the mother was still bleeding. So, I asked the men to make a stretcher and they helped carry the mother down the steep mountain path to Anguganak”.
The trained Health Workers at Anguganak Health Centre have medication and skills to deliver a retained placenta, stop bleeding and can provide intravenous fluids and antibiotics. The safe motherhood training has given Bernadette the knowledge and confidence to make decisions and recruit assistance when further help is required.
Returning to Anguganak for the 9th time this year, we will lead two workshops, run training drills with life like mannequins, provide resuscitation resources, birth kits and over 300 Days for Girls kits for school girls and women. Each morning before the training begins, we join the women to sing beautiful old choruses and then lead their morning devotions. This year we have Francois and Ansie Van Teijlingen joining us for the first time. While the midwives and nurses are providing training, Francois will be using his many skills assisting us with all the technical equipment and help the local team build the maternity ward and seeing if the old tractor can be salvaged to maintain the airstrip.
Please remember us in your prayers asking for Gods guidance and protection over the team and that our visit to Anguganak will be a blessing to this remote community. Pray that as we step out of our comfort zones to serve others our faith and awareness of God will be enriched. We thank two wonderful little Australian charities that assist us - HealthServe Australia and SendHope.org Tax deductible donation for us can be made through these charities.
We look forward to hearing more from the team on their return.
On Tuesday 7th of May our Christian midwifery team from HBBC returned to Anguganak, motivated by stories like this one from Bernadette who lives in a small village perched on a high ridge above Anguganak. The escarpment is called 15C because of its steep bush track with 15 corners.
Bernadette is a Village Birth Attendant (VBA) and has attended four of our Safe Motherhood workshops in Anguganak. Bernadette is trusted by her community and she recalls recently being asked to assist a labouring mother. Bernadette shares, “The mother was giving birth to her third baby, but it was taking a long time. I collected my birth kit from home and then encouraged the mother to change positions as this can help when labour is going too slow. The baby boy was born but then the placenta didn’t follow, and the mother started to bleed a lot. I rubbed the fundas (top of the uterus) but the mother was still bleeding. So, I asked the men to make a stretcher and they helped carry the mother down the steep mountain path to Anguganak”.
The trained Health Workers at Anguganak Health Centre have medication and skills to deliver a retained placenta, stop bleeding and can provide intravenous fluids and antibiotics. The safe motherhood training has given Bernadette the knowledge and confidence to make decisions and recruit assistance when further help is required.
Returning to Anguganak for the 9th time this year, we will lead two workshops, run training drills with life like mannequins, provide resuscitation resources, birth kits and over 300 Days for Girls kits for school girls and women. Each morning before the training begins, we join the women to sing beautiful old choruses and then lead their morning devotions. This year we have Francois and Ansie Van Teijlingen joining us for the first time. While the midwives and nurses are providing training, Francois will be using his many skills assisting us with all the technical equipment and help the local team build the maternity ward and seeing if the old tractor can be salvaged to maintain the airstrip.
Please remember us in your prayers asking for Gods guidance and protection over the team and that our visit to Anguganak will be a blessing to this remote community. Pray that as we step out of our comfort zones to serve others our faith and awareness of God will be enriched. We thank two wonderful little Australian charities that assist us - HealthServe Australia and SendHope.org Tax deductible donation for us can be made through these charities.
We look forward to hearing more from the team on their return.