And just like that, we’re finished! Over two weeks, hundreds of us have walked thousands of kilometres as we came together a community to walk side by side with mums and babies living in poverty in Sierra Leone.
We’ve raised over $63,000 or enough for 630 safe births. It’s incredible and my heart is full.
My heart is full thinking of Jakia who inspired this event. It is amazing to think that her struggle to get to a hospital where she could give birth safely was not in vain. She has inspired all of us to make birth safe for hundreds of more women and babies.
My heart is also full thinking of all of you. You all took on a challenge to make life better for mums and babies on the other side of the world. You stood up and walked to give women and children living in poverty a fighting chance and I cannot thank you enough for that.
Above all else, I just want to say thank you so much for joining us on this journey. You have blown me and everyone at AMF away and I couldn’t be happier looking back on what we’ve achieved.
Aminata
Meet Jakia
We met Jakia in the alleyways of Kroo Bay, widely regarded as the most disadvantaged postcode in the world. She was 5 months pregnant with her third child. Her first child was washed away in a flood. Her second baby died at birth, as the nurse tried to push her baby out by pressing vigorously. Jakia hadn’t been able to get to a safe hospital . She was in labour and couldn’t walk the 6.4 kilometers to get there.
A midwife arranged for Jakia to deliver her third baby in the safest maternity hospital in Sierra Leone – our very own partner the Aberdeen Women’s Centre! 4 months later Jakia had a healthy baby girl.
This is why we walk!
So that women like Jakia won’t have to. The money you raise will pay for staff and supplies at the Aberdeen Women’s Centre so that mums like Jakia give birth safely and their children get the best start in life.
Every step you take brings us one step closer to safe births in Sierra Leone.
What's the challenge?
Your impact
Funds raised from the AMF Walking Challenge will make birth safe for women, teenagers, their babies and the medical staff caring for them during COVID-19.
During the Ebola crisis, Sierra Leone saw a 66% increase in teenage pregnancies due to school lockdowns and social disruption. Now we are preparing for a COVID-19 baby boom about Christmas time this year.
Help us reach our target of $50,000 as we prepare for a COVID-19 baby boom
Check out last year’s AMF Mother’s Day Walk
Our initial goal was to raise enough money to cover the cost of 10 cesarean operations at Aberdeen Women’s Centre, in Freetown, Sierra Leone – $5000 AUD. Thanks to the commitment and hard work of Paris Fittler, Lillie Carolan, Rosie Kemp, Steph Dowsett, and families, we were able to raise $13,053 AUD. Almost three times as much as we’d hoped!
