A mom and son

In a home visit, we discussed birth and support for pregnant women in their communities. As we sat in the yard, the women’s children came and went. Here, this woman’s son relaxes in her lap as she talks.

Local birth attendants

Here, these older women, who have worked as birth attendants in people’s homes for many years, share a position once commonly used at home for giving birth. Nowadays, even at home births, most women use the lithotomy position-lying on their backs.

Pregnant for the first time

Village number 1

On day three in this village we arrived in a cloud! Though the weather was not great, everyone still came out to participate in our discussions. My research assistant and I learned a ton and were sad to finish up here.

Women's Focus Group Discussion Participants

The enthusiastic participants of my first women's focus group discussion in which we talked about general life in their community, their relationships with men, and health care services.

The boat we donated to the District Medical Office

This is the boat that is now working to bring pregnant women and other emergency cases from the shores of Lake Rukwa to the Mtowisa Health Center

Ngoma

As part of the White Ribbon Day celebrations, Sukuma men in Mtowisa performed some traditional dances and music, known as an ngoma. In this picture I particularly enjoy how you can see the development of material culture. Next to the dancer on the right, who is wearing a mask carved from wood, we can see a dancer who has fashioned his headdress/mask out of an old teapot. Other dancers were wearing headdresses made out of old rubber boots and other found materials.

White Ribbon Day

White Ribbon Day is celebrated each year in March to raise awareness and commemorate those women who have died due to pregnancy-related complications and those babies who have died shortly after birth. This year it took place in Mtowisa village where they have just finished building and equipping a new operating theatre.

Wedding celebrations

Itwelele Mountain, Sumbawanga

Maternity ward organization

I attempted to help the nurses set up 5S organization on the ward. 5S is a method for standardizing the set-up of supplies and documents on the ward and throughout the hospital. Adherence has been a bit difficult, particularly at the end of the night shifts.

C-section babies under the warmer

The hospital has seen an increase in the number of C-sections recently. It is not uncommon these days to have upwards of ten or more C-sections in a 24 hour period. While this may not seem like very many, it represents an increase for this hospital.

Adrienne Strong