Collaborations for the empowerment of women recovering from obstetric fistula

Last weekend, Kupona’s Executive Director, Abbey, attended the African Diaspora Network’s African Diaspora Investment Symposium (ADIS 2017) in San Jose, CA. This engaging two-day event served as an opportunity for leaders and influencers from Africa and the rest of the world to connect on issues and opportunities that will support the continent’s further development. Abbey was honored and excited to bring Kupona’s perspective to the ‘Women Entrepreneurs in Africa’ panel.

Abbey (far left) presenting at ADIS 2017

Reflecting on the panel, Abbey shared, “When I was given the opportunity to speak about inspiring examples of female entrepreneurship in Africa, I immediately thought of the Mabinti Centre. Established in 2006 by Kupona’s sister organization, CCBRT, Mabinti serves as an integral part of CCBRT’s comprehensive obstetric fistula program. Mabinti focuses on the socio-economic empowerment of women following their clinical treatment for fistula. A case study of effective integrated development, the model leverages the virtuous cycle of health as the key to empowerment, and economic empowerment as the key to continued health.”

The Mabinti Centre empowers 10 new female entrepreneurs every year, training women recovering from the surgery they received at CCBRT Disability Hospital to correct obstetric fistula, a devastating injury caused by complications during childbirth. Every year, 10 women graduate from Mabinti with their self-confidence restored, and return to their communities as active, empowered entrepreneurs and ambassadors for fistula treatment. An additional eight women are employed at Mabinti in the production unit, which has generated over $320,000 in product sales since 2014. The revenue generated through this project supports the continuation of CCBRT’s broader obstetric fistula program, which reaches over 1,000 women annually. 

The images below demonstrate the impact of entrepreneurship far better than words. Looking at these women now, it’s hard to imagine that most of them have faced significant trauma. Many have lost a baby in a traumatic delivery, were abandoned by their husbands and families and deeply stigmatized by their communities. We are proud to support efforts that unlock their potential, and empower them to build a bright future for themselves and their families.

Photo by Sala Lewis

Photo by Sala Lewis

Photo by Sala Lewis

Kupona is very grateful to Almaz Negash, Founder of the African Diaspora Network, for the invitation to share the impact of Kupona and Mabinti at ADIS 2017, and to Dr. Musimbi Kanyoro, President and CEO of Global Fund for Women, for facilitating the ‘Women Entrepreneurs in Africa’ panel. We were honored to be a part of this stimulating, honest discussion about the challenges and opportunities facing the African continent, and we look forward to exploring opportunities for further partnership and collaboration.

To learn more about supporting the the socio-economic empowerment of women at The Mabinti Centre, please contact us at info@kuponafoundation.org.

Thank you for your support in 2016

Happy New Year! In 2016, your generosity touched the lives of thousands people. This past holiday season, our supporters gave over $18,000* to support our work in Tanzania, meaning that in 2016, the Kupona community came together to give over $960,000* to the empowerment of people and communities living in poverty in Tanzania.

At Kupona Foundation, we believe that every individual in our community has the power to change the lives of people like Jane. You have the potential to impact the healthcare of future generations through your support of training for medical teams. You can ensure every expectant mother we serve can enter a clean, safe, equipped delivery room to be assisted by a fully trained team.

We believe it because it’s already happening. Your generosity over the holiday season alone translates to:

• Life changing, comprehensive treatment for 26 women like Jane who are living with obstetric fistula.
• 273 hours of hands-on training and mentoring for medical teams on Dar es Salaam’s busiest labor & delivery wards.
• The safe delivery of 34 babies in a clean, equipped facility.

We are resolved.

Our New Year’s Resolutions for 2017 are simple. We will give you more opportunities to provide high quality healthcare to more people in Tanzania: to equip more healthcare teams to save lives in Dar es Salaam, to empower more women and girls to build bright futures for themselves and their families, and to get more children with disabilities into school and playing with friends.

We are resolved to build on our momentum, working closely with our sister organization, CCBRT, and to make an impact this year that will ripple out to touch millions of lives in the years to come. We cannot do it without you. Will you continue to stand with us?

Thank you for all of your support, and best wishes for a healthy, happy 2017.

*Unaudited figures, subject to change.

You went above and beyond in 2016

It’s highly unlikely we will be forgetting 2016 any time soon. Politically, socially, economically, it has been a year of momentous change, yet, at Kupona Foundation, there was one constant: your support for people and communities in Tanzania.

You were creative, generous, and you changed thousands of lives. You unlocked opportunities for some of the poorest and most marginalized people in Tanzania, and gave them access to the high quality healthcare they needed and deserved.

Selina and her newborn son Photo by Sala Lewis

In 2016, you donated dollars, time, and photos to help people like Selina. You gave healthcare workers access to critical training and mentoring, and helped us to renovate and equip healthcare facilities. You hosted pasta dinners, golfed for good, purchased handmade items from The Mabinti Centre and artwork from the Drawing Out Fistula Exhibition. You even climbed Mount Kilimanjaro! You attended and supported cocktail receptions, meetings, and mixers. You raised awareness, and shared our story on social media. You were a passionate force for good, and we are so grateful for your support.

Photo by Sala Lewis

Your gift is more than a donation. It’s a life changing surgery, a first consultation, a healthcare worker trained to deliver high quality care. It’s a child’s restored sight, an expectant mother’s peace of mind, a baby born with clubfoot who will be able to run and play. And that’s why we’re asking you to join us once more for a final push before 2016 comes to a close.

Here are a few examples of what your generosity can do:

• $67 provides an hour of training for a maternal health team, equipping them to give high quality care to expectant mothers and their newborns.
• $160 provides clubfoot treatment for one child, allowing him to run and play.
• $300 restores a child’s sight, allowing her to go back to school.

A one-time or recurring gift can be made through our website, or by mailing a check payable to Kupona Foundation to our mailing address below. Don’t forget to amplify your impact by asking your employer for a match.

Join us, and close out 2016 with the gift of hope.

Since September, nearly 2,000 people have donated 3,676 photos to train medical teams in Tanzania

What is so amazing about 3,676 photos?

Ever heard the phrase ‘a picture is worth a thousand words’? Well now, your pictures are worth hours of training for medical teams, thanks to the free Donate a Photo mobile app from Johnson & Johnson. From now, until December 6^th, for every photo donated through the app, Johnson & Johnson contributes $1 to our maternal health program in Tanzania, supporting training for healthcare workers and giving newborn babies the best chance for a healthy start.*

Since our cause launched on September 5, 2016, nearly 2,000 people have donated over 3,680 photos to Kupona, and these numbers increase every day. So far, this translates to 54 hours of training for medical teams serving in Tanzania’s labor and delivery wards. In a country where approximately one woman will die every hour from complications in pregnancy or childbirth, a highly skilled medical team can mean the difference between life and death. Those who have been trained go on to train their colleagues, and so the impact ripples out to touch hundreds of healthcare workers on the front lines of maternal and newborn healthcare.

By donating a photo a day, you are improving the quality of care available to thousands of families every year.    

For nurses like Intisar, training and mentorship empowers them to provide high quality care with confidence and skill.

Sister Intisar (center). Photo by Sala Lewis

Sister Initsar joined the CCBRT team following her graduation from nursing school. After a few months of training and mentorship, Intisar felt empowered to use her freshly honed skills and astonished her mentors with her progress. During an annual assessment, she received an incredible score of 100 percent in “assisting normal labor”. CCBRT’s midwife trainer Dorcas stated, “Intisar is a champion of delivery and resuscitating newborns”. Intisar’s impact has been so extensive and profound, two of her patients have named their babies after her.

Intisar’s passion for her work is tangible, “When I get a healthy baby I always clap and cheer, I just can’t help myself!” she says. “I want all mothers to have safe respectful care. I want every mother to enjoy giving birth – not regard it as a punishment”.

In her time with CCBRT, Intisar has also learned how to conduct a vacuum delivery, and is looking forward to sharing what she has learned with other healthcare workers. She says, “I’m happy to be able to pass the best practices on to even more nurses”.

What does she want for the mothers and newborns of Tanzania? “Seriously, I want zero deaths.”

By donating a photo a day, you are putting the skills and tools needed to save lives into the hands of people like Intisar.

Since the beginning of November, our team and supporters have been participating in the #DaysofThanks campaign, posting and donating a photo a day to highlight something they are thankful for. It’s not too late to join us! The #DaysofThanks campaign will run until Thanksgiving. Our goal is to reach 298 hours of training by December 6^th.

So today, on National Philanthropy Day, do something different to give back. Download the Donate a Photo app, and start sharing today! The app is free, the process is easy, and the impact is profound. Thank you for all you have contributed to the hard work and dedication of these medical teams.

Best wishes,

The Kupona Team

*Johnson & Johnson has curated a list of trusted causes, and you can donate a photo to one cause, once a day. Each cause will appear in the app until it reaches its goal, or the donation period ends. If the goal isn’t reached, the cause will still get a minimum donation.

Action (ˈakSH(ə)n/) noun – the fact or process of doing something, typically to achieve an aim.

CCBRT CEO, Erwin Telemans, joins Kupona’s Alexandra Cairns in NYC for UNGA week.

International gatherings, like the UN General Assembly and associated side events in New York City last week, are valuable. They hold us accountable to our promises, and solidify new commitments. But, as direct service providers, we’re always cognizant of the most important question: how do we make all of this happen? How do we ‘walk the talk’? Here, we summarize our 3 key takeaways from this year’s UNGA week, and reflect on how we are going to convert these discussions and commitments into action for the people and communities we serve.

1) SDG 17 is the star of the show

The Global Goals have been designed to be interconnected, meaning the most effective programs will touch upon a variety of issues such as healthcare, education and gender equality to name a few. Last year, we talked about how important it is to avoid becoming a ‘jack of all trades.’ The best way to do this? Partnerships. One of the biggest themes of last week’s discussions was multi-sector partnerships. This is music to our ears. Every sector brings something different to the table, and partnerships across sectors ensure that we can maintain both a breadth and depth of impact. SDG 17 really is the star of the show. Get that right, and the rest of the Goals will follow.

2) Our approach to funding and financing needs to change

As organizations like ours strive to become more financially independent, the global community needs to adjust its perspective when it comes to financing. As Diana Ayton-Shenker from Global Momenta commented on last Wednesday’s Roadmap to 2030 Safe Surgery panel, the mechanisms to unlock more innovative financing for social entrepreneurship don’t yet exist. Investing in social entrepreneurship may feel uncomfortable because it doesn’t fit with our traditional ideas of charity. But as implementers approach diverse and complex challenges in new and creative ways, the donor/financing community needs to keep up, keep an open mind, and invest in approaches that are taking ‘sustainability’ from buzzword to reality.

3) Never forget to put a name to the statistics

When we gather on an international level the conversation can quickly take on a scale that is hard to relate to. 5 billion people without access to safe surgery? That’s the majority of the global population. With figures of such magnitude, it’s difficult to comprehend the true impact of inaction. Putting a face to the statistics makes it easier to maintain perspective. As Pape Gaye, President and CEO of Intrahealth International stated last week, behind every statistic is a person, a life, that means something. Ruth is one of these people. Until recently she was one of the 5 billion people without access to safe surgery. She lived with obstetric fistula for three decades before finally receiving treatment. She could not work and her community turned its back on her. When we think about the impact of inaction, we think about Ruth.

Gathering at the global level is critical – to secure commitment, hold ourselves accountable to our promises and facilitate the partnerships that are so vital to making this happen. But we all need to make one important commitment before we leave and get ‘back to our day jobs’: That we will maintain momentum after these discussions, that we will take action, and that we will make something happen to achieve the global goals.

World Contraception Day 2016

Tim’s Corner
Photo by Sala Lewis

Launched in 2007, World Contraception Day serves as an annual reminder to the global community of the importance of safely planned pregnancies while encouraging individuals to make informed choices about their sexual and reproductive health. However, not everyone has access to the resources and support they need to do so.

In 2012, it was estimated that 222 million women wanted contraception information and resources but were unable to access them due to societal pressures or limited availability of information.¹ Experts now estimate that the unmet need for family planning impacts over 225 million women globally.²  

Planning and spacing pregnancies can save lives

Estimates suggest that addressing the unmet need for family planning worldwide could prevent 79,000 maternal deaths³ : When a mother survives, her family thrives. When a family thrives, the community as a whole has a brighter future.

“Allowing women to choose whether, when, and how many children to have achieves progress on global health goals. It also helps break the cycle of poverty, and puts families, communities, and countries on a stronger, more prosperous and sustainable path.” ~World Health Organization (WHO)

A Tim’s Corner nurse counsels a client in safe contraception methods.

Doing our part: Meeting the need in Tanzania

Thanks to support from partners including EngenderHealth, PSI, FHI360, Johns Hopkins, and the Manchester Family, CCBRT is providing family planning resources and counseling to some of the most marginalized populations in Tanzania.

Tim’s Corner Family Planning Center, established in memory of Tim Manchester through the generosity of Tim’s family, friends and colleagues, is a place for people to buy what they need and learn something new. This innovative kiosk, constructed from a refurbished sea shipping container, sells snacks, toiletries and phone credit, as well as providing free informational resources. Visitors can make appointments for a more in depth consultation. In a private consultation room just next door, CCBRT’s family planning nurse is trained to provide a full range of short and long term contraceptive methods, one-on-one counseling, and screening for cervical cancer. Tim’s Corner empowers patients and staff at the Disability Hospital with the resources they need to make informed decisions about their reproductive and sexual health.

Today, Tim’s Corner marked World Contraception Day with a contest, prizes, and by distributing informational leaflets and free condoms at the CCBRT Disability Hospital.

Integration and empowerment

CCBRT is one of the largest providers of obstetric fistula treatment in the world. It is a common misconception that once a woman has had an obstetric fistula, she can never have another baby. The happy truth is, many women who have had a successful fistula repair can have safe pregnancies and deliver healthy babies. In order to ensure each fistula patient has the resources she needs after surgery, Tim’s Corner staff visit the Fistula Ward at CCBRT’s Disability Hospital every week to provide sexual and reproductive health education, and to instruct women about how to safely plan future pregnancies. Before a patient is discharged from the hospital, she has a one-on-one counseling session with a Family Planning nurse at the Tim’s Corner kiosk.

The integration doesn’t stop on the fistula ward. Tim’s Corner nurses have begun educating medical teams in each department of the hospital on the different methods of family planning available at the kiosk. They are also improving staff’s technical knowledge of Family Planning, enabling CCBRT’s healthcare workers to speak confidently and accurately about the options available to all patients.  

Looking ahead

The CCBRT Maternity and Newborn Hospital is in the final stage of construction, and the vision of integrated Family Planning at CCBRT is expanding. Family Planning resources and information will be made available to all patients before discharge and new recruits to the medical teams will receive training to prepare them to counsel patients in Family Planning options.

Globally, we have a long way to go to address the unmet demand for family planning services, but this World Contraception Day, we are proud of the progress we are seeing in Dar es Salaam. Through your support, and the support of our partners, we will work to ensure the patients and communities within our reach have access to the healthcare and resources they need and deserve.

¹ Guttmacher/UNFPA. Adding It Up: Costs and Benefits of Contraceptive Services, Estimates for 2012. June 2012. 

² United Nations Population Fund. http://www.unfpa.org/family-planning. Accessed 19 September. 2016.

³ Guttmacher/UNFPA. Adding It Up: Costs and Benefits of Contraceptive Services, Estimates for 2012. June 2012. 

⁴ “Programmes – Promoting Health the Life Course.” World Contraception Day. World Health Organization (WHO), http://www.who.int/life-course/news/events/world-contraception-day/en/. Accessed 9/19/2016

Securing Life Saving Impact for the Future

In this final installment of our Maternal Monday blog series, we focus on how embedding life saving changes in the Tanzanian healthcare system ensures your collective impact continues for generations to come. While the improvements made to date are impressive, if they can’t be sustained or duplicated, they will only be temporary.

Photo by Dieter Telemans

One of the keys to sustainable impact in healthcare is training. Like most of the developing world, Tanzania has a deficit of trained healthcare workers. Not enough young men and women are entering the field, and many trained and experienced specialists choose to work abroad. This means current healthcare teams that are already stretched by a city’s booming population aren’t being joined on the frontlines by fresh reinforcements.

Many doctors and nurses work extended shifts to make sure their floor is covered, which can lead to exhaustion and burnout. Night and weekend shifts are not sufficiently staffed, so emergency cases are less likely to be attended by a qualified team. A shortage of specialists means that there are few trainers available to share their knowledge with the next generation: and the cycle continues.

Christina, Lilian, and Victoria. Photo courtesy of CCBRT.

Training of Trainers

Christina, Lilian, and Victoria are all nurses at the CCBRT Disability Hospital. Realizing that the impairments they treated at the Disability Hospital could be prevented by access to quality care during childbirth, they decided to become a part of the long term solution to disability in Tanzania. They left their homes and relocated to Cape Town, South Africa for a year of training in Pediatric Nursing, supported by CCBRT. Now they have returned to work after their training. They divide their weeks between the 200-bed Disability Hospital and CCBRT’s partner sites in Dar es Salaam, where they help teams identify and prevent disabilities at birth on the labor & delivery and post-natal wards.

“When managing a difficult case like neonatal asphyxia [when a baby is not getting oxygen], you have one minute to prevent disabilities like cerebral palsy,” Lilian remarked. “If you give good care to the baby, you stop it right there”.

When CCBRT’s Maternity and Newborn Hospital opens, these three nurses will move into new roles in what will be one of the largest dedicated maternity hospitals in the country.

Dr. Gloria Manyangu. Photo courtesy of CCBRT.

Empowering the Next Generation of Clinicians

For doctors like Dr. Gloria Manyangu, the hands-on experience gained as a clinician and a trainer under CCBRT’s capacity building program serves the doctors as much as it serves their trainees. Dr. Gloria joined CCBRT’s team this year after completing medical school and serving at other local medical facilities post-graduation. She now works with teams in 12 public healthcare facilities throughout Dar es Salaam, giving her ample opportunities to refine her own skills while mentoring her colleagues

“It’s very possible to reduce maternal death. Despite the many challenges — shortage of supplies, equipment, electricity — if we are motivated, we can get it done. The harder we work, the better the outcomes.” ~Dr. Gloria Manyangu

This spring, CCBRT oversaw the on-site training and mentoring of 196 trainees in topics like infection prevention control, maternal complication, post-partum hemorrhage, and standards to monitor best practices.

Moving Forward

As dedicated healthcare workers like Dr. Gloria continue to train others, and nurses like Christina, Lilian, and Victoria expand their own knowledge to curb disabilities at birth, we will see lives saved, medical teams empowered, and healthcare systems improved. Thank you for standing with us as we improve the status quo for patients and healthcare workers. By improving the quality of healthcare available, we can empower people and communities to realize their full potential. Healthy people build healthy communities.

The last 6 months have been all about action. And we’re not done yet.

This year, the global community entered a new phase of development with the launch of the SDGs. At Kupona, we’ve wasted no time leaping into action to affect the changes needed to empower people and communities living in poverty in Tanzania.

Your support is saving lives

In January, we hosted a Google+ Hangout with our friends at Girls’ Globe and Dr. Brenda D’mello of CCBRT, discussing the contrasting expectations and birth experiences of mothers in the U.S. and Tanzania. In February, we reported just a few of the improvements our teammates are now seeing in Dar es Salaam labor & delivery wards, as they deliver the high quality maternal healthcare the women of Tanzania need and deserve. In June, our cocktail reception raised over $16,000 to ensure that this incredible work can continue.

We’re part of a global community

In the last six months we’ve been privileged to connect with clinicians, advocates, youth leaders, healthcare workers, policy makers, fundraisers, philanthropists, and thought leaders, and even Muppets at the Unite for Sight conference in New Haven, Moms+ Social Good in New York City, and the Women Deliver 2016 in Copenhagen. These gatherings not only exposed us to inspiring discussions, but they also unlocked real opportunities to build new partnerships and engage with Kupona’s friends and supporters, both old and new.

We’re shining a light on a silent tragedy

With support from our friends at Johnson & Johnson, we co-hosted our first Twitter chat on International Day to End Obstetric Fistula with CCBRT, UNFPA and Fistula Foundation, making over 3.8 million impressions and sharing our vision of a world without fistula. On the same day, we launched the Drawing Out Obstetric Fistula Exhibition at the New York University Kimmel Center, shining a spotlight on the experiences of women living with and recovering from obstetric fistula. On May 25^th we hosted a reception and private viewing of the collection that brought together clinicians, philanthropists, development professionals, advocates, business leaders, artists and students, all united under one cause: a commitment to the empowerment of women and girls.

But we’re not done yet.

We’re excited to announce that the Drawing Out Obstetric Fistula exhibition, originally scheduled to close on July 4^th, has been extended until December 31^st, 2016. We’ve been thrilled by the response to this project, and we couldn’t let it close just yet. Thanks to our friends at Johnson & Johnson, the UNFPA-led Campaign to End Fistula, Fistula Foundation, and New York University for their continued support. You can visit this powerful collection on the 6^th floor of the NYU Kimmel Center.

The exhibition is a beautiful reminder that there is dignity and value in every person’s story. Not only does the artist capture the transformative power of a successful surgery, but also the inherent stigma-busting power of a woman who is unafraid to tell her story as someone living with or having lived with a fistula.

~Zack Langway, Kupona supporter

We’re also looking forward to participating in side events and meetings during UN General Assembly week in September, and to raising even more funds for expectant mothers and their newborns in Tanzania at our inaugural event to benefit Kupona Foundation in Saratoga Springs, NY: A Night for Health & Hope.

This is what makes the hard work worth it

The 2015 Kupona Foundation Annual Report is now available. These are the stories of individual lives changed, figures that depict the scale of our collective impact, and testimonies from members of our community, encapsulating a year where we embraced opportunities to unlock potential like never before.

You are the driving force that makes this progress possible. Thank you for standing with us to empower people and communities living in poverty in Tanzania to realize their full potential.