October 17, 2019

Celebrating 10 years of Kupona Foundation and over 100,000 surgeries at CCBRT

On Thursday, October 10th, we celebrated Kupona’s 10th Anniversary at The Penn Club in New York City and raised over $37,000 to support our partner CCBRT in Tanzania.

Kupona Staff, Board, and Advisory Board Members (photo credit: Todd Plitt)

You — our Kupona community — should feel tremendous pride in what you’ve helped us achieve over the past ten years, especially if you consider this: 

  • 18 million people die annually due to surgically treatable conditions, and millions more suffer with preventable disabilities.
  • In Tanzania, 830 women do not survive due to complications related to pregnancy and childbirth EVERY DAY. An estimated 80% of these deaths are preventable.

 

Help us reach our goal of raising another $10,000 with a life-saving gift today


Why is it that being born with a correctable impairment like  pediatric cataracts, or safely giving birth – things that happen all over the world – are so challenging and so dangerous in Tanzania? The following three challenges are among the greatest drivers:

  1. There is a shortage of trained surgeons and skilled surgical and medical teams able to provide the services needed. For its population of over 55 million people, the World Health Organization recommends 10,700 specialist surgeons – and Tanzania has only 177.
  2. There is a lack of awareness. Many people don’t know that their child’s impairment can be treated, or don’t realize that a laboring mother may not be able to safely deliver her baby at home. Myths and misconceptions about the causes of disability create social stigma.
  3. It is very difficult to access treatment. For many families, the time and cost of traveling to a health facility to seek treatment for themselves or their child will be at the expense of putting food on the table or educating their children.  

In the past ten years, Kupona has helped CCBRT conduct over 100,000 surgeries in Tanzania, and we’ve helped launch a maternal and newborn healthcare program that has increased a mother’s chance of survival by over 40% in the Dar es Salaam region. As Dr. Brenda shared, “Fistula is 100% preventable, and that’s where the CCBRT Maternal Health team comes in. We give women the right to a clean and safe birth and a healthy baby.” 

The numbers are impressive, but when you consider that they represent lives, families, children, and healthcare professionals, they carry a whole new weight. CCBRT CEO Brenda Msangi brought the numbers to life:  “We’ve done over 100,000 surgeries…this is not just a number, this is seeing a little boy smiling for the first time after a cleft repair, or seeing a woman with fistula who has been leaking urine for 8 years, being dry after surgery, and going back to her community and being accepted by her community. This is a little toddler taking steps for the first time using her prosthetic. This is the real impact that we are privileged to see at CCBRT.” 

CCBRT CEO Brenda Msangi and Maternal Health Leader Dr. Brenda D’mello (photo credit: Todd Plitt)

Thursday’s celebration included a Tanzanian dance performance by Curious on Tanzania, and gave guests the opportunity to cast their vote to direct a $9,000 grant from the Johnson & Johnson Foundation to one of CCBRT’s high-impact programs. The winning program? Maternal Health & Obstetric Fistula. Thanks to Johnson & Johnson and all of our generous event sponsors for their support. You can check out more photos from the event here.

We are so grateful for this community, and to everyone who has donated, volunteered or partnered with us over the last decade. A special thank you to our 10th Anniversary Host Committee for their generosity and for helping mobilize such an incredible group of people.

We invite you to stay involved with this work. Why? Because it’s your support that is changing the lives of thousands of people in Tanzania every year. Here’s how you can help:

Curious on Tanzania performance (photo credit: Todd Plitt)

Silent Auction of photographs from Board VP Betsy Zink’s visit to Tanzania (photo credit: Todd Plitt)

  • Donate today! We have a goal of raising another $10,000 to celebrate 10 years of changing lives.
    • A gift of $300 will provide sight-restoring surgery for a child born with congenital cataract, enabling him to see the world around him and get an education. 
    • A gift of $615 will equip 15 health workers with advanced training at the CCBRT Academy. 
    • A donation of $5,000 will provide critical start-up operational funding for five safe C-sections for mothers and babies in our new Maternity & Newborn Hospital.
  • Visit CCBRT: Reach out to express your interest in joining us for a “Seeing is Believing” trip in 2020 or 2021.
  • Learn more: Read about your impact in our 2018 Annual Report.
  • Stay in touch: Follow us on social media or sign up for our mailing list We’re on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter
  • Spread the word: Share this post or tell five friends about the event, and invite them to help us reach our goal with a life-changing gift. As Betsy shared in her opening remarks, we can each “Do what you can, with what you have, wherever you are.” 

Thank you all for your generosity and support over the last ten years.

September 13, 2019

Upstate New York Community Raises $28,000

On Tuesday, September 10th, Kupona Foundation hosted our fourth Upstate New York event at The Docksider Restaurant in Lake George, NY.

Thanks to the generous support of our Saratoga Springs community, we raised over $28,000 to provide life changing healthcare services to children living with disabilities, women and newborns, and life-saving training to empower frontline healthcare workers.

Guests enjoyed picturesque views of Glen Lake with a delicious buffet and cocktails served by our friends at The Docksider. Handmade items from The Mabinti Centre were available for purchase, and guests bid in a silent auction on a stunning hand thrown vase from local artist Linda Demers of Oakley Way Pottery, with all proceeds going to support the women and children we serve in Tanzania.

We are so grateful for this community of supporters and friends. Thank you to everyone who attended on Tuesday, donated in honor of the event, and to each and every one of you who has supported our Upstate New York events in the past. A very special thank you goes to Tom & Laurie Longe and to Steve & Debby Seaboyer for their generosity and for helping mobilize such an incredible community of people in Upstate New York.

On Tuesday evening, Steve Seaboyer welcomed guests and thanked them for their many years of support before introducing Kupona’s Executive Director, Abbey Kocan. Abbey shared an update on the impact that the Upstate New York community has had, thanks to their generosity. These accomplishments include helping to provide:

  • Comprehensive, holistic fistula surgery and treatment for 3,358 women living with obstetric fistula, (a traumatic birth injury that results from prolonged, obstructed labor).
  • Sight restoring surgeries, such as cataract surgeries, for 28,500 children and adults, who are now able to go to school, be active in their communities, and support their families.
  • Critical training and capacity building for over 5,000 community health workers.

Abbey also expressed her excitement about the planned opening of the new CCBRT Maternity and Newborn Hospital in 2020, which will provide 12,000 safe deliveries for mothers in need every year, and the CCBRT Academy, which officially opened this week.  The CCBRT Academy will play an important role in strengthening human resources for health in Tanzania and more broadly in the East African region. The continued generosity of Kupona’s supporters will help us to equip clinical and managerial teams with the live-saving skills they need to provide expert, quality care to those most in need. By training healthcare workers to train others, we ensure that quality healthcare will be available for years to come.

We invite you to stay involved with this work. Why? Because it’s your support that is breaking the cycle of poverty for thousands of people in Tanzania every year. Here’s how you can help:

We have a goal of raising another $5,000 to enable us to invest in what it will take to ensure that the opening of our new Maternity & Newborn Hospital in 2020 is a success, and to reach more children with the life-changing care they need today.

  • Donate today! A gift of $160 will support a child living with a disability like clubfoot, improving his mobility and give him the chance to learn and play.
  • Join us with a donation of $5,000 to help make the necessary investments in critical start-up costs for the new maternity hospital.
  • Learn more! Read about your impact in our 2018 Annual Report.
  • Follow us on social media. We’re on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter

We’re proud to call Saratoga Springs home and we are so grateful for the generosity and support of this community.  Thank you.

August 24, 2018

Kupona’s 3rd Annual ‘A Night (and Round) for Health & Hope’ raises over $47,000

Last night, we were delighted to host our third annual event at Saratoga National Golf Club. The generous support of Kupona’s sponsors and the Saratoga Springs-area community helped us raise over $47,000 to provide life-saving and life-changing healthcare services to children living with disabilities, women and newborns.

The foursome from Beebe Financial Services preparing to golf for good.

We were so fortunate to have a beautiful day for our golfers and guests. Teams golfed for health and hope on Saratoga National’s stunning golf course, and were joined by friends and family in the evening for a cocktail reception and live music from local artist Leah Woods.

Competition was fierce at the silent auction table, and one lucky raffle winner became the new owner of a piece live painted by artist David Hill. The very popular Mabinti Centre items were featured for a third year and were quickly snatched up by guests.

Guests listening to the evening’s remarks

During the evening’s remarks, Kupona’s Executive Director, Abbey Seaboyer Kocan shared an update on the impact our local community has had on the lives of people we are serving in Tanzania. She contrasted how a child born with a birth defect in the U.S. can access necessary medical care, and in many cases you would never know that child was born with a disability. In Tanzania, disability can be a life sentence to poverty. A child born with clubfoot, like Lita, will become permanently disabled and trapped in a cycle of poverty if she is unable to access quality care. That is where Kupona’s supporters and friends come in. $47,000 could provide 293 children just like Lita with the treatment they need to run, walk, and go to school.

One of the most important aspects of Kupona’s work is our focus on sustainability, helping our Tanzanian partner, CCBRT, on the journey toward becoming a social enterprise. We are doing this by harnessing the demand for high quality healthcare in Tanzania’s growing middle class, and providing an in-country opportunity for them to receive high quality services such as cataract surgeries and knee replacements. Clients are willing and able to pay more for ‘premium’ services (which are appointment based and offer an air-conditioned waiting room, for example) allowing us to provide subsidized and free care for those who cannot afford it.

Not only are we focused on financial sustainability, but also embedding high quality care and practices into the existing Tanzanian healthcare system. Our community’s generosity will help us continue to equip clinical teams with the live-saving skills they need to provide expert, quality care to women and newborns in need. By training healthcare workers to train others, we ensure that quality of care will be available for years to come.

A huge thank you goes to our generous Patron sponsors, The Gorman Group and WCC, LCC.

Thanks to our Ally Sponsors Beebe Financial Services, D.A. Collins, Tom & Laurie Longe, Bob & Denise Schwed and Steve & Debby Seaboyer.

And with thanks to our Bar Sponsor Galusha & Sons, LLC, our Event Sponsors Tim & Liz Ostrander and Bob and Mary Grace Manz, and our Friend of Kupona sponsors.

We are also grateful for the amazing staff at Saratoga National Golf Club, our golf committee, Tom Longe and Steve Seaboyer, and Leah Woods and David Hill for making the event such a success.

We invite you to stay involved with this work. Why? Because it’s your support that is breaking the cycle of poverty for thousands of people in Tanzania. Here’s how you can help:

Help us provide high quality maternal healthcare to more mothers and newborns in Tanzania

We have a goal of raising another $10,000 to enable us to invest in what it will take to ensure that the opening of our new Maternity & Newborn Hospital in 2019 is a success, and to reach more children with the care they need today.

  • Donate today! A gift of $160 will support a child living with a disability, improve their mobility and give them the chance to learn and play.
  • Join us with a donation of $5,000 to help us make the necessary investments in start up costs for the new maternity hospital.
  • Learn more! Check out your impact in our newly released 2017 Annual Report.
  • Reach out to someone who might want to learn more: a friend, colleague, minister, or neighbor.
  • Follow us on social media. We’re on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter

We’re so proud to call Saratoga Springs home and so grateful for the incredible generosity and support of this community.  Thank you.

May 22, 2018

Seventh Annual Cocktail Reception Raises Over $16,000

Increasing access to high quality sexual and reproductive healthcare

On May 17th, Kupona Board Member James Mann hosted our seventh annual Cocktail Reception at his beautiful New York City home in support of our work to make high quality sexual and reproductive healthcare more accessible to women and girls in Tanzania. Our guests and supporters raised over $16,000, unlocking access to quality services for 457 women and girls.

One of the highlights of the evening was a short film from the field, featuring interviews with CCBRT’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Bedan Gichanga, and Bola Abbas, Technical Advisor in Nursing.

Three key themes stood out from their message:

  1. Family planning saves lives

As Dr. Bedan shared, with access to and uptake of family planning methods, “The likelihood of mothers and newborns dying during childbirth is reduced significantly because the births are spaced, and mothers have adequate time to recover from their initial pregnancy.”

  1. Family planning breaks the cycle of poverty

In addition to its life-saving impact, family planning can also break the cycle of poverty. For young women and girls, the use of family planning means they are more likely to remain in school by avoiding unplanned pregnancy, and, as Dr. Bedan states, family planning can be very important to mothers looking to provide for their families. “The use of family planning…will [also] improve the productivity of mothers – because they’re not pregnant every year and they can be gainfully employed.”

  1. The return on investment is hard to ignore

According to the research from the Post-2015 Consensus 1, the return on investment for family planning is $120 for every $1 spent. At CCBRT, it costs just $35 to deliver family planning counseling to one person, meaning our program generates over $4,200 in benefits for every person served.

The potential impact of sexual and reproductive healthcare is huge, which is why we are delighted to support efforts to break down barriers to access for the communities we serve. There are already plans to integrate family planning across the full spectrum of care at the CCBRT Maternity and Newborn Hospital, opening in 2019. In the meantime, the team is integrating family planning into CCBRT’s disability services, providing women recovering from obstetric fistula with the knowledge and tools to safely plan future pregnancies, and enabling other patients and caregivers visiting the hospital to seek services during a single trip to the hospital – making CCBRT a ‘one stop shop’ for good health.

More photos from Thursday’s event are now live on our Facebook page. Thank you again to everyone who joined us on the night and gave so generously!

Want to learn more about our work or join us for a future event? Sign up for our mailing list to receive periodic updates straight to your inbox, or indicate your interest in joining us for future events.

  1. http://www.copenhagenconsensus.com/post-2015-consensus/health-women-children
November 1, 2017

10 Years of the Mabinti Centre

Originally posted on the CCBRT blog

The Mabinti Centre turns 10 today! To recognize this milestone anniversary, we sat down with Mabinti founder Katia to reflect on the past decade.

The Mabinti Centre grew out of Katia Geurts’ dream: to start an organization to empower women who have suffered from obstetric fistula. With a background in sewing, textile design, and teaching, Katia worked for years in the Sudan, Rwanda, and Kenya teaching crafting and embroidery skills to people living with disabilities, their mothers, and other women. When she and her family moved to Dar es Salaam in 2006 and learned of CCBRT’s fistula program, she approached CCBRT’s management with an idea for a partnership.

On 1 November 2007, the Mabinti Centre opened its doors to its first class of trainees. In the 10 years since then, 100 women recovering from fistula surgery have benefited from the Mabinti Centre’s intensive 12-month course, training in sewing, screen-printing, beading, design, English, and business skills. In addition to training, the women continue their holistic recovery from fistula through group support, life skills, health education (including HIV/AIDS, family planning and nutrition) and wellbeing promotion activities like yoga. By the end of the course, Mabinti graduates have gained the knowledge and skills to enable them to earn their own incomes and build healthier, brighter futures for themselves and their families.

 

“The difference [at the end of the year] is so big compared to when the women start,” Katia says. “The confidence they build is thanks to the Mabinti Centre. It’s not just having [technical] skills – it’s having life skills lessons, like welcoming visitors and meeting new people, that builds this confidence and helps empower them.”

Whether they settle in Dar or return to their homes elsewhere, Mabinti’s graduates spread awareness about what fistula is and how to seek treatment for it. Through their entrepreneurship, they demonstrate that women can have full lives after suffering from fistula. Each week, one of Mabinti’s graduates leads a crochet lesson with women being treated for fistula at CCBRT as part of their holistic care program, providing a positive example to them that there is life after fistula.

Mabinti’s impact also goes beyond its walls in other ways: as a social business, it runs a successful production unit, providing income generating opportunities for graduates to work on an extensive range of accessories and home furnishings. The products’ popularity at fairs, retail locations in Tanzania and for international wholesale orders have led Mabinti to near-double its revenue in the last three years alone – revenue which is reinvested into free, high-quality care for women living with fistula at CCBRT’s Disability Hospital.

Reflecting on this success, Katia says, “[it’s] much bigger than I would have imagined at the beginning. But it has grown by itself. We can continue to get better at a lot of things, but I’m proud of the 10 years that we have been helping women with fistula rebuild their lives.”

Please join us in celebrating 10 years of Mabinti by sending a birthday gift of $10 through our GlobalGiving page.

Want to learn more about the Mabinti Centre’s work or to visit Mabinti in person? Find out more on our fact sheet and Facebook page.

October 20, 2017

A Night (and Round) for Health & Hope raises over $50,000

Celebrating the success of our second annual event in Saratoga Springs, NY.

Last week, we were thrilled to host our second local fundraising event in Kupona’s hometown of Saratoga Springs, at Saratoga National Golf Club.

Photo credit: Niki Rossi Photography

Through the support of our sponsors, friends, family and volunteers, A Night (and Round) for Health & Hope was a resounding success, raising over $50,000 to support life changing care for children living with disabilities in Tanzania.

Photo credit: Abbey Kocan

We couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful day as golfers played a round on Saratoga National’s pristine golf course, followed by an evening cocktail reception. Local musicians Leah Woods and Just Nate shared their talent as guests enjoyed Saratoga National’s delicious cocktails and appetizers, and bid on a stunning range of silent auction items.

Photo credit: Niki Rossi Photography

We were excited to bring back (by popular demand) handmade items crafted by women recovering from obstetric fistula at The Mabinti Centre. We were practically sold out within an hour!

Photo credit; Niki Rossi Photography

A huge thank you goes to our generous sponsors, including Ally Sponsors Beebe Financial Services, D.A. Collins, Lancaster Development, Tom & Laurie Longe, Bob & Denise Schwed and Steve & Debby Seaboyer, our Event Sponsors Pet Partners, Saratoga Hospital and Tim & Liz Ostrander, our Partner Sponsors Carpet One and Iron Roost and all of our Friend of Kupona Sponsors. We are also grateful for the amazing staff at Saratoga National Golf Club, our golf committee, Tom Longe and Steve Seaboyer, and our event committee chair Kelly Trendell, for making the event such a success. Thanks also to Niki Rossi Photography for capturing the event, and to Leah and Nate for contributing their time and talent.

During the evening, Kupona’s External Affairs Manager Alexandra Cairns recounted meeting a young boy named Frederick in rural Tanzania. Frederick lives with cerebral palsy, and due to a lack of resources, he used to spend his hours lying in the dark on the dirt floor of his home, almost completely isolated from the world. Then one day, our sister organization in Tanzania provided him with a wheelchair and regular physiotherapy, and Frederick’s life was completely changed. You can see the smile on Frederick’s face and read more of Frederick’s powerful story, here.

Alexandra shares Frederick’s story.
Photo credit: Niki Rossi Photography

Meet Frederick. Photo credit: Benjamin Eagle

The $50,000 raised on Thursday night will help change the lives of 387 children just like Frederick.

Photo credit: Benjamin Eagle

The generosity of our supporters has unlocked access to the healthcare services children like Frederick need to improve their mobility, giving them the opportunity to play with friends in their community and go to school.

We invite you to stay involved with this work. Why? Because it’s your support that is breaking the cycle of poverty for thousands of families in Tanzania. Here’s how you can help:

Help us reach 77 more children with a gift today
We want to change the lives of  77 more children like Frederick. We invite you to join us in reaching this goal and making dreams come true with a gift. It’s your support that can break the cycle of poverty for thousands of families in Tanzania. Help us reach our goal of raising another $10,000.

  • Donate today! A gift of $130 will support a child living with a disability, improve their mobility and give them the chance to learn and play. Reach out to someone who might want to learn more: a friend, colleague, teacher, minister, or neighbor.
  • Check out the photos from the event.
  • Follow us on social media. We’re on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter

L-R: Abbey Kocan, Alex Cairns, Sami Bossalini, and Kupona Board member Robert Schwed.
Photo credit: Niki Rossi

We’re so proud to call Saratoga Springs home and so grateful for the incredible generosity and support of this community.  Thank you.

June 28, 2017

Kupona Supporters Raise a record breaking $20,000 for Reproductive Health

On June 21st, Kupona Board Vice President James Mann opened his New York City home for his sixth Cocktail Reception in support of Kupona. Our guests and supporters broke a Kupona record, raising over $20,000 to improve access to quality reproductive healthcare for women and girls in Tanzania.

During the evening, long-time supporters and new friends mingled with staff and members of Kupona’s Board of Directors and Advisory Board, enjoying cocktails, canapes, and stunning views of Central Park.

L-R: Alexandra Cairns, James Mann, Abbey Kocan, Samantha Bossalini, Dr. Yoni Barnhard

James shared his reasons for supporting Kupona for so many years, emphasizing not only the high return on investment that comes from supporting reproductive and newborn healthcare interventions, but also the efficiency that comes from working with a lean, context-driven organization like Kupona.

Our Executive Director, Abbey, stressed what is at stake as healthcare teams work tirelessly to serve mothers and newborns in challenging environments. Missing something can be the difference between life and death. Yet, despite seemingly insurmountable obstacles, healthcare workers like Sister Intisar persist in the face of adversity in order to give families the quality of healthcare they deserve. Thanks to the support of Kupona’s donors and partners to date, we have seen a 40% decrease in maternal mortality and a 14% reduction in stillbirth rates in the Dar es Salaam region. These aren’t just numbers. They’re lives saved.

Sister Intisar (center) “Seriously, I want zero deaths.”


Abbey invited guests to take pride in the achievements in Dar to date, and to support urgently needed training on the ground. With a generous matching fund from James on the night, guests and supporters contributed $20,000 – enough to train 300 nurses, and embed trainers in medical teams to support long-term, on-the-job mentoring and support. This training will equip frontline clinical teams with the life-saving skills they need to provide expert, quality care to the women and girls they serve.

In Tanzania, one woman still loses her life every hour due to complications in pregnancy and childbirth. We’re making progress for these women and their families every day, but we won’t stop until our shared vision of high quality, respectful reproductive healthcare for all is realized. Thank you so much to James, and to every single donor, supporter and partner who is standing with us to save lives, and to improve the standard of reproductive healthcare for thousands of women and girls in Tanzania.

Did you miss the event? You can still donate today to empower healthcare teams with the skills and tools they need: $50 trains 1 nurse to deliver life saving care to an expectant mother and her newborn.

October 5, 2016

A Night (and Round) for Health & Hope

Kupona’s inaugural event in Saratoga Springs, NY raises over $50,000

Last Thursday, we were thrilled to host our first fundraising event in Kupona’s hometown of Saratoga Springs, at Saratoga National Golf Club.

Photo by Niki Rossi Photography

Photo by Niki Rossi Photography

Golfers enjoyed a round on Saratoga National’s award-winning golf course before friends, family, and supporters arrived for A Night for Health & Hope, a cocktail reception to unlock the potential of Tanzanian women and children living in poverty.

A few of our golfers enjoying a cocktail after playing 18-holes. Photo by Niki Rossi

A few of our golfers enjoying a cocktail after playing 18-holes. Photo by Niki Rossi Photography

Photo by Niki Rossi Photography

Photo by Niki Rossi Photography

Music from Just Nate and live painting from David Hill entertained guests as they sipped cocktails, indulged in passed appetizers and took in the magnificent Autumn views from the Ballroom patio.

Photo by Niki Rossi Photography

Photo by Niki Rossi Photography

Items handmade by fistula survivors at The Mabinti Center were available for purchase and guests were invited to snap a photo in the photo booth donated by Johnson & Johnson’s Donate a Photo. There was fierce competition in our silent auction. The Kupona team was delighted to have such a great turnout and warm reception from the Saratoga community.

Kupona's Sami Bossalini and Alexandra Cairns in the Donate a Photo booth. Photo by Niki Rossi Photography

Kupona’s Sami Bossalini and Alexandra Cairns in the Donate a Photo booth. Photo by Niki Rossi Photography

Photo by Niki Rossi Photography

Photo by Niki Rossi Photography

In her remarks, our Executive Director, Abbey, thanked our guests and sponsors, including Polyset, Saratoga Hospital, and DRB Interiors. She then shared her own story of how her son’s life was saved during delivery in Saratoga Hospital because they had access to high quality healthcare. Had he been born in Tanzania, the outcome would have been very different.

Abbey sharing Kupona's story with our guests. Photo by Niki Rossi Photography

Abbey sharing Kupona’s story with our guests. Photo by Niki Rossi Photography

Thanks to the generosity of our guests, we exceeded our fundraising target for the evening, raising over $50,000 to purchase two new anesthesia machines for CCBRT. With this support, CCBRT will be able to continue to provide safe, high quality surgical care for thousands of people every year. By providing access to high quality healthcare through CCBRT, we can ensure more mothers, like Abbey, can celebrate their babies’ happy, healthy beginnings.

Abbey and her son in the photo booth. Photo by Niki Rossi

Abbey and her son in the photo booth. Photo by Niki Rossi Photography

We would like to extend our sincere thanks to our sponsors, golfers, guests, volunteers, and silent auction donors for their generosity and support. Thanks to Niki Rossi Photography for capturing the event, to artist David Hill and to musician Just Nate for contributing their time and talent to our event.

We would also like to extend our gratitude to our golf committee, Tom Longe and Steve Seaboyer and our evening event planning committee chaired by Kelly Trendell, and Kristi and Ryan from Saratoga National Golf Club for making the event possible.

Together, we made high quality healthcare more accessible for thousands of families in Tanzania.

Thank you.

June 20, 2016

Cocktail Reception Raises over $16,000 for Maternal and Newborn Healthcare

What it takes to change lives

On June 17th, Kupona Director James Mann hosted his annual Cocktail Reception in New York City to support our work to improve maternal and newborn healthcare in Tanzania.

Alexandra Cairns (Kupona staff) greets Advisory Board member, Elena Rubinov

We were delighted to welcome such a diverse and distinguished group of guests, including long-time supporters and new friends, representatives of UNFPA, the Diaspora Council of Tanzanians in America, and Safe Surgery 2020, as well as individuals who have been following our work for many years. We were also joined by members of Kupona’s Advisory Board, friends, family, and former colleagues from CCBRT.

A video message from CCBRT’s CEO, Erwin Telemans

Welcoming guests, James emphasized how cost effective investments in maternal and newborn healthcare can be. A video message from Erwin Telemans, CEO of CCBRT, gave guests a tour of the CCBRT Disability Hospital, setting the scene for the range of impairments that can be prevented and treated with access to high quality maternal and newborn healthcare. Kupona’s Executive Director, Abbey Kocan, reiterated the ‘ripple effect’ of an investment in our program – saving the life of a mother, the primary caregiver, means her entire family is likely to be healthier, better educated and more prosperous. She closed with a call to action, asking guests to join us. “We know the solutions; we just need to mobilize to implement them.”

$16,000 will fund 30 safe deliveries for expectant mothers and their newborns. On-the-job training for healthcare workers will simultaneously improve the existing medical infrastructure, embedding high quality care in the healthcare system for future generations.

James Mann (far left) welcomes guests.

We would like to extend our sincere thanks to our host, Mr. Mann for generously covering the event costs and matching donations made during the evening, and to all who showed their support before, during and after the event. Your contributions help us continue to strengthen the healthcare system and provide care to thousands of women and newborns every year. Thank you.

More photos from the event are now live on our Facebook page. You can also receive updates by signing up to receive our mailing list.

May 31, 2016

Drawing Out Obstetric Fistula

Kupona Foundation and Partners celebrate the opening of Drawing Out Obstetric Fistula

On Wednesday, May 25th, Kupona welcomed partners and supporters to an intimate reception and private viewing of our Drawing Out Obstetric Fistula exhibition at the NYU Kimmel Center. We were joined by clinicians, philanthropists, advocates, lawyers, business leaders, artists and students, all united under one cause: a commitment to the empowerment of women and girls.

Kupona volunteers, staff, Advisory Board members and friends.

Artist Jac Saorsa speaking with guests.

Celebrating resilience, courage, and unadulterated beauty

The focus of the evening was a celebration of the resilience, courage and unadulterated beauty of the women who inspired Jac Saorsa’s collection of artwork. All treated at our sister organization in Tanzania, every woman featured has her own story of survival. On Wednesday evening, guests heard the story of Lidya. The trauma and grief that Lidya experienced during the delivery of her children is beyond what many of us can imagine. Despite losing her 2-day-old newborn, raising a child with a disability caused by birth complications, and developing a devastating fistula twice, Lidya refused to be broken by fistula. She says, “my experience of living with fistula has made me the successful businesswoman I am today.”

Joining together to end fistula within a generation

Addressing the room, Kupona’s Executive Director, Abbey Kocan, thanked sponsors Johnson & Johnson, Fistula Foundation, New York University’s Kimmel Center and College of Global Public Health, and the UNFPA-led Campaign to End Fistula. Dr. John Brothers, President of Kupona’s Board of Directors, highlighted the opportunity to empower entire communities by creating new beginnings for women living with and recovering from obstetric fistula. Following remarks from Darcy Allen, representing the UNFPA-led Campaign to End Fistula, and Kim Keller of Johnson & Johnson, attendees renewed their commitment to the UN Secretary General’s pledge to end fistula within a generation.

Abbey Kocan addresses guests.

Kupona was also delighted to welcome Katia Geurts, the Director of The Mabinti Center, CCBRT’s socio-economic empowerment program for women recovering from obstetric fistula. Items hand crafted by graduates from the training program were available for sale. Guests also showed their support through the purchase of artwork, exhibition catalogs, and donations.

Katia Geurts, Director of The Mabinti Centre offered items for sale made by women recovering from treatment to correct their obstetric fistulas.

This is just the beginning…

This reception was just the beginning of a celebration of women living with and recovering from obstetric fistula, and the programs and partnerships working to end this debilitating condition within a generation.

The exhibition is open to the public, free of charge, until December 31st. Artwork and exhibition catalogs will be available for sale for the duration. If you are interested in making a purchase, please contact Alexandra Cairns.

Visit www.resilience.gallery for a preview.

 

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