We have two initiatives focusing on Pregnant Women. Our “Mama 2 Mama Program” started in 2015 when we purchased our first portable USG machine so we could monitor pregnant women in our Hobawawi clinic. We now have six USG’s and so far we have screened 1,890 expecting mothers. 

We provide them with monthly consultations, ultrasound screenings, essential prenatal vitamins, and continuous support to ensure the health of both mothers and babies.

We found 22 women with severe pre-birth complications that were unknown until we examined them with our USG’s. These women were taken to hospitals where, according to doctors there, at least 18 of them would have died giving birth in their villages. 

Our second initiative, “Sumba Smiles”, started in 2022. This program provides essential care for at risk pregnant mothers in rural West Sumba by offering lifesaving services, both at our clinics and in village settings. With resources often limited from the government, this program became particularly vital. 

On our surveys of remote villages, we found many pregnant women who were so severely malnourished that both they and their unborn children were at risk of dying during childbirth. There are currently 81 women in this program.

These women are provided protein rich foods for six-months pre-birth and for six months after. The babies of the mothers in this program are born considerably larger and far healthier than normal. It has been a huge success story! We have been continually expanding this project further by working closely with midwives and finding the at-risk mothers in remote villages and bringing them into this life saving program.