I dedicate this blog to many women, men, boys and girls young and old who turned up in numbers to come and hear life-saving messages delivered by White Ribbon Alliance Tanzania (WRA Tanzania) members during the marking 2014 White Ribbon Alliance Day in across Rukwa region districts .
I dedicate this blog to many women, men, boys and girls, young and old, who turned up in numbers to come and hear life-saving messages delivered by White Ribbon Alliance Tanzania (WRA Tanzania) members during the marking 2014 White Ribbon Alliance Day in across Rukwa region districts.Special thanks to 16,000 who signed the Petition and 907 who decided to act by takinga crucial action that in my belief if you do it, it will be easy for you to take many other actions. I am referring to giving a gift of life--donating blood. I don’t mean to say that for someone to take action to save mothers and babies s/he must first donate blood but I am referring to the emotional thought process one engages in and feeling that one goes through after donating blood. It is a feeling that feeling that you have been of help/service to mothers and babies. The revelation that my blood will save someone’s life.As testified by my friend and colleague Peti Siame from Sumbawanga; “Am glad you are doing this campaign, you have my unqualified support on this, you are helping communities to articulate a vision how communities will look like if women and babies were not dying due to pregnancy related complications,”Statistics don’t lie, they carry meaning. According to the Demographic and Health Survey 2010 Tanzania loses 8,500 women, 50,000 babies annually. YES, 8,500 women and 50,000 babies! That’s why Mama Ye! Appeals to everyone to take action to save mothers and babies most of whom need not die as their lives could be saved if you and I act to save them.If you don’t know what it feels like to lose a women during pregnancy/delivery ask children who have lost their mothers, widowers who have lost their loved ones or a family which has lost a daughter. Am quite sure that the experience from that answer will be transformative. You will experience a paradigm shift you have never experienced before. “If this Mama Ye! Campaign had reached us earlier may be I wouldn’t have lost my wife, but am glad nevertheless that now as many mothers and babies are going to be saved as a result” intoned one male participants.“If the health center had blood my wife wouldn’t have died,” said Cloud Kissi who lost his wife at Mtowisa Health Center due to excessive bleeding while delivering recently.This year’s White Ribbon Day was hosted by Rukwa region, Mama Ye! supported districts events from March9-14th to ensure that in the entire Rukwa region has the opportunity to meaningfully engage with regional The White Ribbon Day.Therefore from rom 9th-15th March People had an opportunity to hear life-saving messages, donate blood and sign petitions to urge the government to uphold its commitment that 50% of health centers in the country offer CEmONC as per the national roadmap for accelerating the reduction of maternal, child and newborn deaths 2008-15.Author: Kenny Simbaya: Teacher, Journalist, Activisit for Youth Participation and a Consultant for Management and Community Engagement.