Chad: Meet Akwada, Head Midwife
Akwada is one of the two head midwives at the Guinebor 2 Hospital (G2) in Chad. Akwada and her team provide safe births for hundreds of mothers and their babies every year – vitally important work in a country where one in 15 women die during childbirth. MAI supporters enable G2 to subsidise the cost of maternal care, so that even the poorest pregnant mother can access the vital care of Akwada and other medical staff.
We recently spoke to Akwada about her incredible work.
What do you like about working at the hospital?
“I like working with the patients. I like the atmosphere here and knowing that God is here with us.”
Can you tell us about a patient you worked with recently?
“There was a pregnant woman who came from a long way away. She hadn’t been in the antenatal clinic. She had six previous pregnancies, but no living child. There were stillbirths and she’d had two miscarriages.
“At first, her family took her to the same village where she’d had previous stillbirths, but the grandparents said, ‘No, you’re not going back there. We’re taking her to N’Djamena.’
“So, she arrived here. We thought, as she’s had four stillbirths, maybe that means that she’s got a very narrow pelvis. We decided we should do a caesarean section. We talked with the parents, but initially they weren’t happy. But we explained it all and eventually they agreed.
“And they had a living child! They were so remarkably happy!”
What would you like to say to those who support the hospital?
“We are overjoyed to receive such support, especially for the mothers and children. These are vulnerable people, and you help them. Saving lives is truly wonderful.”
Do you have any prayer requests?
“That God would give us understanding when people come to us and allow us to communicate well with them.”
This interview was included in our latest annual review. You can read our annual review online here, and find more inspiring stories of how our partners are bringing health and hope to those facing their hardest times.
