Thinking of African Mothers

While I was home in the States, visiting my wonderful friends and family I had several conversations with people about starting a non-profit. I am not an organization person. I am a midwife. I love being a midwife. I feel passionately about caring for women, especially for women who often find care in scarce supply. I am not a manager or an administrator. (I feel that statement can and should be followed by a line of exclamation marks.) Over the past two years I certainly feel I have been a funnel for many people’s goodwill and resources but my efforts have lacked order. I described to one friend all my little projects as a spewing, simmering, cauldron; there is a lot of good stuff happening but it is a bit out of control. Still the thought of starting a non-profit scared and, honestly, scares me.

When I reached Austin, I reviewed my mother’s account of all the unsolicited contributions made by family, friends, and strangers over the past two years. The shocking grand total was US$20,000. My immediate thought was, "there is no way that I can handle that amount amount of money in an informal way." While in DC I talked to my friend Leanne who, I must interject, was the person who told me to be a midwife in the first place, meaning she has great instincts. She responded to my fear with excitement and said, “I am an organization person.” Her enthusiasm gave me a push. I returned to Austin and told my friend Sarah about my thoughts; she mentioned that in the building where she works there is a Non-Profit Center that helps people set up non-profits. She made me an appointment. On Tuesday morning I met Sandy who has been setting up non-profits and assisting them for 25 years, surprisingly he also knew quiet a lot about Malawi and midwives. That night, serendipitously, I opened a donation check from a friend for $2,000 - more than enough to cover Sandy’s fees and the IRS fees. The next requirement was a volunteer board of three. I had myself, Leanne, and I called my friend Heidi who is a social worker and has experience with blossoming non-profits as well as community work with teens and moms. She agreed. The stars aligned and the African Mothers Health Initiative was born.

At the moment we have a bank account with almost $12,000. (Sandy has applied for tax-deductible status which he says may take up to nine months but will be retroactive to the date that we filed.) We are working on a website. I need to set up a sister organization here in Malawi before I leave to carry out the work legally. My friend Mrs. Namaleu – the nurse who works on the malnutrition ward – has agreed to continue the projects I have begun. She is two years past the date when she intended to retire but had no other alternative for employment. For the moment we will continue supplying formula for infant orphans, visit those little ones at home as well as any severely ill women during postpartum period, continue the feeding program, and pay school fees. This is where we will start and depending on how things develop I would like to expand. My vision is broadly and basically to provide women with quality care during pregnancy, delivery, and in the postpartum and to ensure that children also receive such care – with particular attention to the ages 0 to 5. At the center of this work I also want to hold the value of honoring people above numbers, lives above cost-effectiveness, and care for women and children above all else.

If anyone is interested in donating. You can send checks made out to the African Mothers Health Initiative to 6808 Belford Dr. Takoma Park, MD 20912. A couple friends are helping me with a website so hopefully that will be up within the month. There is a lot to be done before December.