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.