For Mothers

I was recently assigned to document some of the work ELMA Philanthropies is doing with its partners in Uganda for the 2018 progress report. 
The foundation invests in already existing high-impact organizations that can further its objectives and I visited a number of them, meeting the incredible humans making this work possible. 
What stood out for me on a personal level was the work being done in hospitals, building the workforce in Maternity sections. (Jinja Regional Hospital & Iganga District Hospital)

This investment aims at ensuring that newborns receive appropriate care and making pregnancy and delivery safe for more women. 
As a First-time expecting dad, It was pretty obvious how much joy and anxiety these babies brought to their mothers. Nonetheless, mothers of premature babies seemed to have a bigger share of worrying to do.

There seemed to exist a steady flow of women in Labour and Postnatal patients because the wards were so full of women. I could imagine the pressure on the few available midwives. For a moment, the Maternity ward seemed like a factory and Motherhood seemed like the biggest gamble. 
There was a certain kind of calmness in the nursery though. With its intense warmth, the level of anxiety seemed to be at a different level.
Many mothers were nervous about whether their baby would be safe or if they could cope. 
For a few hours, I felt more humanized and everything was reduced to essentials of survival.
From the outside, most men think its a walk in the park but childbirth is a unique event and we celebrate you all Mothers.

You are walking Miracles.