Story

The Story of a Young Midwife

Rabia* always dreamed of becoming a midwife. She wanted to learn how to take care of the women and children of her village, but did not have even a basic education and was unable to read or write. Motivated by her dream, Rabia enrolled herself in the Learning for Life Program, an accelerated adult literacy initiative led by a partner organization. It wasn’t too long before she learned how to read, write, and solve math problems. She also received a basic health education, the perfect foundation for her future as a midwife.

She soon passed the midwifery entrance exam and enrolled in International Medical Corps’ Community Midwife Education program in Khost Province.

With passion and persistence, Rabia overcame the many obstacles that face Afghanistan’s women, like lack of education, and became a midwife in her village in northern Khost, a very conservative and culturally restrictive region. As part of a small group of female trainees, Rabia learned essential clinical skills, including how to perform an antenatal exam, manage severe hypertension, and resuscitate a newborn. She now proudly walks every day to work in a health facility that is relatively far from her home.

She has the trust of families within the community and the number of patients is gradually increasing. Before Rabia worked in the clinic, pregnant women did not come for antenatal care. Now, every pregnant woman is referred by International Medical Corps’ community health workers to Rabia for antenatal care to better prepare for their delivery. When it’s time, the expectant mothers turn to Rabia for a safe delivery.

Thanks to the training she received, Rabia knows that she can prevent many of the complications that mothers face during pregnancy and delivery. She is both enthusiastic and satisfied in her long-awaited career, fulfilling her dream of providing essential care to Khost’s women and children.

*Not her real name.

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