In Congo they have a proverb: Children are the reward of life. To celebrate Mothers’ Day 2015, more than just say it with flowers, we want to send a practical love-bomb to the Democratic Republic of Congo. AND WE NEED YOUR HELP! Just text MAMY48 £3 to 70070 to donate £3. 

Motherhood in Congo is hard. The brutality of the war has injured many women, making child-bearing even more dangerous in a place where already there are not nearly enough trained birth attendants. Rates of death in childbirth and infant mortality are amongst the highest in the world. We want to change this, and we know that you do too. Who wants to see children unnecessarily orphaned? Or hungry and homeless as their mother is too ill to work?

We are planning a two-pronged attack, working with local partners to invest in a future for Congolese women and children. And we need you to help us. 

First, we are providing scholarships so that young Congolese women can train as nurses. Once trained they will be able to save up to 100 lives a week, and it only costs £1 a day to make that difference. It's incredible that for less that the price of a coffee a day you could be saving around 5,000 lives EACH YEAR. Put another way, each £3 donation will save around 80 lives each year. That's extraordinary. 

With what I earn as a nurse, I can contribute towards my younger brothers and sisters’ tuition fees. I am so grateful for my scholarship to complete my training and I hope that many more young girls like me will be able to benefit from similar scholarships, and fulfil their dreams. Congo needs so many good nurses. It would save so many lives and improve the quality of life of the entire nation. Sarah - nurse

Second, we are educating children and women in DRC. Educating people so that they can leave grinding poverty behind and lift their families up means that more mothers and children will have hope for the future and motherhood will be that little bit easier when precious children and their heroic mamas are that bit safer.

 I know that it is bad to drop out of school. It is important to learn how to read and to speak French, but if I don’t come to the market we cannot eat. - Mamy, aged 9

Mamy is one of the lucky ones - one in five Congolese children die before they reach 5. But by giving her an education you can help to break the intergenerational cycle of poverty and ensure that her own children have a childhood. 

So join us in making a difference and in celebrating Mothers! Share your #hardbutworthit picture on social media and nominate your pals to get them involved. Your donations will make a huge difference and what better present could you really give this Mothers' Day.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity. So it’s the most efficient way to donate – saving time and cutting costs for the charity.