One midwife for so many
Collette Bochomoli, 61 years, is Elila’s only midwife. Incredible, if you think that Elila village has nearly 6,000 inhabitants and the only way to get there is by river.
Her patients - which number 15-20 per week - stay in a mud-brick building next to the main clinic. It’s dark and stuffy inside, with dirt floors and basic bedding, but Collette still manages to create a comforting environment for new mothers.
Little training, lots of experience
Collette has been delivering babies in Elila for 32 years. Back then it was an effort to find someone who could read and write. Her preparation for the job was minimal. After a year spent observing the head nurse in Elila, she was sent to nearby Kailo for just six months training. However, years of hands-on experience have since enabled her to train others in midwifery skills and boosting maternal health care in the province.
Sadly, despite years of service, Collette’s working conditions have worsened, along with her eyesight. She recently lost her assistant, which means she has little time to rest or tend her fields. And having never received a wage, she has no pension to look forward to.
Health workers like Collette are meant to survive on the small fees asked of patients. But where the majority live below the poverty line and payments are often made in produce, it's hard to see how anyone affords the $4 price to give birth.
“We never discriminate”
Nevertheless, Collette stays because she knows how crucial midwives are, especially in a land as conflicted as Congo: “We provide essential services and never discriminate against anyone who comes for help. My life is to care for patients and give them advice for a healthy future.”
This International Day of the Midwife show your support for midwives like Collette: Put your hand up for a health worker now
Help us save more lives: Please donate now