If pregnant women in Ganta, Liberia’s second largest city, cannot afford care at the main hospital or its clinics, they visit the Maternity Center which is located in a modest home above the marketplace in town.  In late 2014 in particular, there is fear about approaching the main hospital for medical care due to the Ebola breakout and so women are increasingly preferring the Ganta Maternity Clinic.  Approximately 50 women in the early stages of pregnancy are treated weekly.  They are tested for malaria, low blood pressure and infections.  If needed, the Maternity Center’s pharmacist provides medicine.  The Center also delivers babies, sometimes three or four per day.  In Liberia the maternal mortality rate is one of the highest in the world, close to 1 in every 100 live births.  These tragic deaths cause misery and hardship for the mothers’ families and their communities.  Women need to be empowered with information on the risks of diseases and how to pursue healthier lifestyles.  The founder of the Maternity Center, Mary Zarweah, lives there, enabling her to keep the doors open throughout the week.  After giving birth, mothers are encouraged to stay until they feel strong enough to return home.  All meals are subsidized.  Currently the Center can host seven patients in individual rooms, but there is a lack of adequate bedding.   To pay the staff and acquire the necessary drugs and medical equipment, the Center charges a small fee. As demand for her services increases, Mary (the founder, in the photograph) would like to increase the number of beds and charge less.  Purchase of materials such as bedding, medical equipment and supplies will help achieve this goal.

DONATE NOW TO #264

$25:00 per bedding set
$5.00 medicines
$30.00 medical equipment and supplies
$1.50 per set of educational materials