Near East Foundation

People We Serve

Dar Es-Salaam: Fatma’s Story

Fatma is 22 years old and lives in Ramallah, one of the older settled villages in the Dar El Salaam El Rabwa area. She is originally from the El Fasher area of Darfur, and has been married twice. She has one child by a first marriage and two children by a second. Her eldest is seven.

Fatma’s first husband, a painter, died unexpectedly while working – presumably of a stroke or heart attack. Now remarried, she gave birth to her next two children at home, assisted by a local midwife.

When she became pregnant with her second child, Fatma began attending the Community Health Center’s ante-natal program. Her eldest daughter - now seven years - attended the program with her. She received regular examinations and periodic treatment for minor illnesses.

Fatma wanted to have her last child in the center’s new delivery room but things didn’t work out exactly as planned. She went into labor on a Friday and arrived with her family and friends at the delivery room only to find it closed for the weekend. Unable to travel further, Fatma sought out the center’s midwife and she delivered her baby at home under the midwife’s careful supervision.

Fatma is happy with the attention and services she receives at the center. Her kids get vaccinations and basic medicines when they need them – either for free or a nominal fee. Regular examinations and periodic treatments for minor illnesses keep the children well and help her to feel more secure. Nurses from the center make regular visits and help Fatma understand how she can take the best possible care of her children.

She is concerned, however, that she can’t always afford to follow the advice of the medical staff. This is particularly true when it comes to feeding herself and her children. The nurses recommend that she give her children milk. Even powdered milk would cost Fatma over $9 a week – which is much more than she can afford.

She looks forward to the day when she can give her kids everything they need. Fatma is an entrepreneur at heart - she would like to have a small home-based income-generating project of her own. This way she would be able to increase her income and provide more of the basics her children require.

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