Guliba Florence Hakim
Coordinator South Sudan
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South Sudan, Education
Gender Equity
Midwifery school: life for mothers and children
Project Number: 179.1022
Child and maternal mortality in South Sudan is extremely high. The country has been in civil war for years, and mothers and children receive little or no support. Against this background, the midwifery school of our partner organization PRDA (Presbyterian Relief and Development Agency) is central. The graduates are professionally well trained. The aspiring midwives are taught obstetrics, anatomy and physiology, as well as English, mathematics and first aid. In annual internships at a hospital, the students apply their knowledge in practice. From February 2023, up to 60 midwifery students can be trained in the newly built, larger midwifery school in Juba.
Background information
According to UNICEF, 62 out of every 1000 babies die in their first year of life in South Sudan. By comparison, in Switzerland, four out of every 1000 children die in their first year of life (2018).
The need for trained midwives is great. The midwifery school of our partner organization PRDA was founded in 2005 in the city of Leer. In spring 2015, the school was relocated from Leer to northern Kenya due to the civil war. As part of a three-year training program, qualified midwives are trained there to accompany women during pregnancy and birth, prevent problems and treat complications.
Quite fundamentally, there is a demand for training in the health sector in South Sudan. Prevention activities, including vaccinations, are also important to reduce the spread of diseases. The trained midwives inform women on the topic of reproductive health.
Project goals
The project trains professional midwives. They care for women during pregnancy as well as during and after birth and give the newborns a good start in life.
The overall goal of the project is to support mothers and children. The trained midwives provide women of childbearing age with knowledge regarding hygiene as well as reproductive health and family planning issues. At the same time, women and infants have better access to medical care.
Target group
The project benefits the broader population in South Sudan, as the trained midwives return to their place of origin, if possible, and practice there. Others work in the refugee camp, where there is also a great need for trained midwives. The Presbyterian Church has hosted student midwives of various ethnicities from different regions of South Sudan.
Activities
- Theoretical and practical training of women to become state-certified midwives
- During the practical training period, infant immunization campaigns are carried out and expectant mothers and mothers in the postpartum period are accompanied. The midwives attend at least 50 births during the training.
- Purchase of teaching materials and work clothes
- Housing and meals for the students and teaching staff
- Establishment of an alumni network
Project progress
Since its foundation, 122 women have successfully completed their midwifery training. On May 27, 2023, the newly built midwifery school in Juba was opened with a big celebration. There are currently 58 students enrolled at the midwifery school in Juba. The new and larger school now has space for twice as many students. This year, for the first time, there is a male student, which is very special and desirable for everyone.
Juba is strategically well located. There are enough hospitals for internships and good networking opportunities with other organizations working in the field, such as the International Red Cross (ICRC), Doctors Without Borders and the WHO.
South Sudan
- About 11 million inhabitants
- 62 infants out of 1000 die before they reach the first year of life
- 11% of births take place in a health facility
Project budget 2024
CHF 149'500
