Lovely (pictured above), a young woman in Bangladesh, witnessed her sister’s health deteriorate before her eyes. Married very young, Lovely’s sister gave birth at age 17 without any assistance from a health professional, and her health took a turn for the worse following delivery. Determined not to let this happen to her or her other sisters, Lovely joined a BRAC Kishori (Adolescent) Club which provided a safe place for the girls to learn, among other life skills, about sexual and reproductive health.
When Lovely married at age 19 she found herself pregnant within just a few months. From the beginning of her pregnancy Lovely received prenatal care from Farida, a community health worker with BRAC. Farida was present at baby Sumaiya’s birth and continued to visit Lovely and her baby for days, weeks, and months following delivery.
In the last four years, BRAC has helped provide safe births for more than 1.3 million women in Bangladesh. Women in Dhaka’s slums—women like Lovely—are given at-home support throughout their pregnancies and are encouraged to give birth in a safe and clean BRAC Delivery Centre.
The success BRAC has seen in Bangladesh is astounding: in five years, the number of women who died giving birth in Bangladesh has been cut in half.
Take Action Challenge
Watch and share the ‘Safe Beginnings’ video to support healthy mothers and healthy babies:
Show your support for BRAC, a global leader in creating opportunity for the world’s poor. Like them on facebook, follow them on twitter and Instagram, and sign up for their newsletter to keep up-to-date on the work they’re doing