In late 2014, two twenty-one year old Methodists in Stoke-on-Trent heard a story.
The story was of a woman in obstructed labour in Niger, she turned up to the clinic and needed medical help but couldn’t afford a $21 cesarean pack, consisting of basic items for a safe birth such as like a sterile scalpel and clean sheets. Because of this she and her baby died, right there in the waiting room.
Childbirth is leading cause of death for adolescent girls in developing countries and, as the poorest country in the world, women from Malawi are seventy times more likely to die in childbirth than their British counterparts. Yet with better access to maternal healthcare, most of these tragedies could be avoided.
No woman should die because she’s too poor to give birth safely.
From this story the idea of Pregnancy Twinning was conceived, which enables a UK family, perhaps who are pregnant at the same time, to cover the fixed cost of any services or materials needed for a safe pregnancy overseas.
For a one-off donation of £42, a UK mum can be ‘twinned’ with a expectant mother in Malawi or Nigeria. Pregnancy Twinning uses this donation to work with local Christian organisations to provide potentially life-saving maternal care to one family.
Sponsor families receive two updates about their ‘twin’ (one before and one after birth) and in return their twin receives eight home antenatal care visits, access to medication if they’re living with HIV and the chance to give birth in the hospital with a skilled attendant to help. These three interventions significantly improve the chances of a safe birth.
The idea has been contagious and Pregnancy Twinning has now been part of hundreds of birth journeys.
Find out how you, your church, or other group, can help to ensure many more safe births by donating or spreading the word: visit our website at www.pregnancytwinning.org
or download an information sheet and poster for your notices, noticeboards, and websites:
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N.B. This is not an MWiB partnership or fundraising campaign, but one which we are happy to support by sharing information and encouraging participation.
Launched by charity Chasing Zero (UK registered charity number 1144344) in 2015, in conjunction
with Tearfund UK and their partners in Malawi.
