A day in the life of midwife Munguci, Uganda

A woman in a pink nurse's uniform looks straight to camera

04 July 2024

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5am

I wake up early. I’m often the only midwife on duty. Breaks are impossible. We can expect to see around 20 women in any 24 hour period.

Munguci is a midwife at a health clinic at Rhino Camp Refugee Settlement in Uganda. The health clinic is supported by CARE.

Needs at the clinic are critical. Medical supplies are always running out, equipment needs replacing or updating and the tragedy is that women and babies die from preventable complications.

You can help by gifting a simple kit containing life-saving essentials to help a new mum and her baby get off to the best possible start.

Gift a life-saving kit today

12 noon

I fill out requests for supplies. But we’re always running out. For example, we have to use non-sterile gloves which puts mothers at risk of infection.

A mother holds a newborn baby - a midwife leans over the baby

Munguci and her colleagues work tirelessly doing everything they can to save lives. But without the proper supplies and equipment, they can’t treat and care for every woman who needs them.

8pm

The end of another long day in very difficult circumstances. I love my job, but I just wish we could do more to save every mother and her baby.

Munguci works tirelessly to support the women in her care to give birth and care for their baby safely and with dignity. One mother gave these moving words of thanks to Munguci:

"My baby and I would have died if you didn’t care so much. You are such a patient person. Thank you.”

But despite the amazing dedication of Munguci and her colleagues, complications with pregnancy and childbirth were sadly among the biggest causes of deaths for mothers in Rhino Camp between 2022 and 2023.

How you can help

A nurse tends to a mother and young baby in a basic hospital ward. A doctor is in the background.

Globally, a woman dies every two minutes from a preventable cause related to pregnancy and childbirth. Every loss is a tragedy, but a simple kit could help save women and babies’ lives.

Will you help a new mum get off to the best possible start with her baby, by gifting a kit made up of items such as sterile gloves, plastic sheeting, a razor, cord ties or a delivery bed?

These life-saving essentials could mean the world to a woman who has lost everything.

Gift a life-saving kit today

Gift a life-saving kit

Find out more about how you can get a new mum off to the best possible start with her baby

Gift a life-saving kit

Please note these kits are representative of the work that your donations could help fund. Donations will be used wherever the need is greatest.