A message from Heather:

"I turn 60 in May and retire from the NHS in June and would like to celebrate this by raising more funds for a cause close to my heart. I do not need gifts for myself, but would be grateful if you would consider contributing to this great cause. 

Martin and I visited Dr. Kariuki last year and were struck by his vision to open a maternity unit in a very poor area of Nairobi to serve the local community who at the time had no access to maternity care. The unit has now opened and I would love to be able to continue to support it."

Millennium Development Goal 5 was to improve maternal health
globally.

Across the world maternal deaths have halved in the 20 year period from 1990 - 2010 but in Kenya they have only declined slightly. This probably reflects that only a third of women in Nairobi are attended to by a midwife at delivery. Mothers often have to walk miles in labour to reach a clinic or hospital and the cost of delivery ranges from £90 (there is no free NHS). This is unachievable for many families. Postnatal care is also a huge challenge and the need to have accessible clinics vital. UNICEF say that the infant mortality for under 1 year olds in Kenya is a staggering 49%.   

We take for granted our good NHS care and being able to choose where we have our care. We even have apps on our phones to save us waiting too long for minor injuries!

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.