Maryam's Hope

Maryam had her first child at nineteen, alone and without adequate antenatal care. The delivery was difficult. Her baby survived, but the experience left Maryam frightened, and when she became pregnant again two years later, she confided in a neighbour that she was more afraid than hopeful.

That neighbour had recently attended a Nashen Care Foundation maternal health session and encouraged Maryam to come. She did — and it changed everything.

At the Foundation's maternal health education programme, Maryam learned about the importance of skilled birth attendants, danger signs during pregnancy, and what to expect in the weeks after delivery. She was connected to a local health facility where she could receive antenatal care and met a community health worker who would check in on her regularly.

When her second child was born, Maryam was prepared. She had attended four antenatal visits, she knew the warning signs to watch for, and she had a health worker's number saved in her phone. The delivery was calm, the baby was healthy, and Maryam — for the first time — felt like she was not doing it alone.

"With my first child, I did not know anything. I was just afraid. This time, I knew what to do, and I knew there were people I could call. That made all the difference."

Maryam now attends every community health session she can, and has become an informal advocate — encouraging other young mothers in her neighbourhood to seek care and not be afraid to ask for help. Her story shows how one woman's empowerment can ripple through an entire community.