This Thing Called Motherhood…
June 4, 2008 | 5 Comments
It feels a little ‘unstylish’ for lack of a better word to be writing about motherhood just as the ultimate celebration of fatherhood looms front and center. But, what can I say…this is what’s on my mind.
In contemplating what motherhood has been and continues to mean in my life, I wonder whether it is most appropriately defined as a noun or a verb? Is mothering merely a biological function which allowed me to carry life within my womb and sustain it through child birth?
Or is it more aptly described in the context of mothering? As descriptive of the ongoing nourishment of life that transforms the giver and the receiver in much the same way that the physical stretching of the skin confirms the fact that something has happened within one’s body. A process which has placed it’s one peculiar branding of ownership… guaranteeing that one will never be the same.
The success of motherhood may be highly dependent on some factors which are totally outside of a woman’s control. Take for instance….where one becomes a mother. Where one becomes a mother determines many things about the success of the process. If a woman is fortunate to enter into motherhood while living in a Scandinavian country, a 2006~ 2007 report by Save the Children indicates that she has done so in the best place in the world!
The worst place to become a new mama according to the report is the sub Saharan African continent. Incidentally, the place of my birth. In a cruelly unforgiving way, grim statistics indicate that being a mom in sub Saharan Africa, may literally entail a brush with death; either within the process of pregnancy or through the miracle that is entailed when bringing forth an emerging new life.
Every minute, someone on the planet is literally putting her life on the line to become a new mom. It is a fact. Every minute in time, a woman meets her death as she struggles to bring forth life.
The chances of survival to the one year birthday are equally stark….2 Million newborns will die on the day they are born and even more before they reach their first birthday.
But, what is most striking is that 6 of the 10 Million children who die every year could easily be saved by preventing the conditions which kill them in the first place. Prevention which involves clean water, proper sanitation and vaccinations.
This does not have to be expensive. There are many wonderful organizations around the world who are doing their part to mitigate this vale of tears which shrouds the joy of motherhood in so much suffering for women and children around the world. One such organization is Save the Children, an organization dedicated to helping people in some of the world’s most difficult circumstances.
I think that the highest use and definition of the word motherhood is in life giving action. The action of sustaining, caring and loving life. The action of fighting for the rights of those who cannot yet defend themselves. The action of giving of one’s self sacrificially for the welfare of another. Motherhood is not mere physical activity, its’ highest calling is the embrace of the enduring spirit of courage, strength and grace which resides in women from every tribe, people, race and tongue. A spirit which celebrates life even in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds.
MFFO Joins Worldwide Orphans With The Ethiopian Water Project
May 28, 2008 | Leave a Comment
A few months ago, Mothers Fighting For Others started the Clean Water Project. Our original goal was to raise $30,000 to put in 10 water purification units in schools and orphanages. But due to Kenya’s post-election violence, we here at Mothers Fighting For Others have decided to join forces with the ongoing Ethiopian Program with A Child’s Right and Worldwide Orphans Foundation. Read about the work that A Child’s Right has done in China, Nepal, and Cambodia. We feel honored to be able to assist in a small way to help contribute to the Ethiopian Program. WWO is run by Dr. Jane Aronson, one of the preeminent international adoption pediatricians in the world. Here is a little information about WWO:
“In January 2007 WWO, in partnership with AIDS Health Foundation (AHF) which treats adults with HIV/AIDS, opened the WWO-AHF Family HealthCare Center in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The Center is a full-service care facility for treating and monitoring the care of orphans and children in families with HIV/AIDS, and for the treatment of adults with HIV/AIDS. The Center helps to bring orphaned children into the mainstream of community life.”*
You can read more about Worldwide Orphans and the amazing work they do for Ethiopians children. We look forward to helping any way we can to help WWO get this project funded.
If you would like to help, write all checks to A Child’s Right and write MFFO in the memo. Eric, the Director, at A Child’s Right will distribute the funds to the Ethiopian Project.
I would just like to say a big THANK YOU to everyone that has donated already. It’s truly amazing what can happen when we come together for a greater purpose!
A Little Bottle Can Be A Big Help!
January 27, 2008 | Leave a Comment
I “met” a wonderful mom on Cafemom last year. Her name is Jill, and she came up with a brilliant idea for our Clean Water Project.
It’s pretty simple.
All you need to do is PRINT YOUR CLEAN WATER PROJECT LABEL and place it on a wide mouthed small water bottle. Pass out the bottles to co-workers, friends, and family members. Ask them to fill them up with change, dollars, even checks (remember, checks are written to A Child’s Right) and send them on back to MFFO!
This is just an easy way to collect donations for this great project. We need $28,000 more to reach our goal. Remember, this project will help over 3,000 children get the clean water that they need and DESERVE!
Let’s Do It!
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