In parallel with Chiefs, the Initiative source scholarships for training Community Midwifery Assistants (CMAs) who are at the helm of promoting sexual and reproductive health within their communities. This includes educating both men and women on subjects such as delivery complications, PMTCT services, healthy timing and spacing of pregnancies, and the importance of antenatal/post-natal care. They are also tasked with raising awareness and sensitizing communities to the risks associated with early pregnancy.
The Initiative has so far managed to source almost 700 scholarships from donors and plans to reach at least 1000 community midwives in a bid to improve skilled attendance at birth as one way of reducing escalating deaths emanating from delivery complications.
Through the CMAs, the Initiative promotes health seeking behavior and attitudes of the communities towards Family Planning (FP), reduced pregnancy, delivery complications and encourage girl child education. As of now, donors are still willing to continue support the Initiative to empower more young girls from the hard to reach areas.