World Connect

Chakhaza Health Center Maternal Waiting Shelter

Year: 2019

Country: Malawi

Project Status: Funded

Impact Sector: Health

Project Investment: $7,241.54

Project Launch: 12-23-19

Through this project, Wandikweza, a community health organization, will complete the construction of the maternal waiting shelter at Chakhadza Health Center. Once completed, the shelter will provide accommodation to pregnant women in their final weeks of pregnancy to allow them easy access to professional obstetric care during childbirth. While at the shelter, women will receive health education and counselling as they prepare for delivery. Additionally, pregnant women and their guardians will learn creative entrepreneurship activities such as knitting, beading, and hand sewing to help them generate income in their homes. The project will enable pregnant women to comfortably wait and easily walk to the ward when labor starts for safe delivery.

Project Update: 6-30-20

Wandikweza has completed 80% of the work at the Chakhaza Health Center Maternal Waiting Shelter completion project. The work included plastering, painting, fixing doors and windows and construction of drainage systems and pathways. Procurement of furniture and solar lighting is yet to be fixed. Once completed, the shelter will increase the number of women who currently deliver at clinics with help of qualified nurses thereby reducing maternal related deaths. Currently, Chakhaza Health Center Maternal Waiting Shelter receives only three women per day because of limited waiting space to allow women wait days prior to delivery. Vincent Machila, Chairperson of the Village Development Committee says, “We are so grateful for this shelter. Currently we have antenatal and postnatal mothers in one room that does not even have mattresses. We are excited that this shelter is going to encourage pregnant women to wait here, be close to the health center and have a safe delivery when labour starts.”

Final Report: 12-31-20

Led by Mercy Kafotokoza, a Segal Family Foundation Champion, Wandikweza successfully completed its second $7,241.54 World Connect grant which has led to 64 pregnant women and their guardians (64) at one for each pregnant women delivering with support from professional nurses at Chakadza Health Center in Dowa District every month . The project has fulfilled the need for maternity waiting shelter to reduce distance women travel while in labor that was identified way back in 2015. Through this project, Wandikweza, roofed the shelter, plastered and painted it as well as added doors to the both rooms of the shelter. The shelter is designed to benefit the 60% women population of the area still deemed to be in child bearing age. As testified by Maria Mandalasi , women have already started enjoying confort of the shelter which has beds, mattresses and solar power. “I came to the shelter to wait for labor to start. I stayed for 4 days in a very nice comfortable place. I just walked to the labor ward on time when labor started and delivered a baby boy without complications. This is a joy to my family as I had lost my second pregnancy last time because I reported to the labor ward late. I had to walk for 5Kms with labor pains then. I am so grateful.”