Iain Smith, a member of the partership steering committee and member of the Rotary Club of Bridge of Allan and Dunblane, writes here to reflect on the progress and future challenges to the Midwife Training Programme the partership have been supporting through Rotary:
Progress to Date
31 students graduating from St Luke's in Chilema, Zomba in June/July
33 graduate in October from Ekwindeni
Both funded entirely by Ann Gloag's Freedom From Fistula Foundation
Graduates receive a bicycle and a small starter pack on deployment
Working closely with the Gates Foundation to develop a Monitoring and Evaluation team to oversee the Project
Team in place to ensure that the training offered is to the highest possible standard and that trainee midwives are properly equipped
Moving Forward
Identification and recruitment of the next class of 60 trainees to start training late summerl
Entirely funded by a $200000 Rotary Global Grant from monies raised through Scottish Rotary Clubs and the £7800 contribution from Likhubula Partnership
Recruiting trainee midwives from rural areas so they can return to posts near their own villages
Estimated cost for the training per head is £1,300 and covers accommodation, subsistence, travel, teaching costs, uniforms, and books etc
Challenges
The lack of basic equipment in some of the most remote health centres
The logistical transport problems
The need to provide further training in obstetric emergencies
Ongoing mentoring to students once they have graduated and are working out in the field will be required
Forthcoming election- if Joyce Banda is not relected, governmamental support may be unknown.
We are now working with the organisations involved in the midwife training project to consider the best way of managing and indeed reducing these challenges.
