Mothers saving mothers

The following was originally posted by BRAC USA Program Manager – Communications Michelle Chaplin on the Half the Sky website.Mother’s Day is about being thankful for one of the most important women in your life: your mother. She gave birth to you (one of the most dangerous things a woman can do), fed you, clothed you, and made sure you went to school (and did your homework), among many other things.

Even before becoming a mother herself, Sweety Akter was intimately aware of the dangers of childbirth – both for mother and child. Sweety’s younger brother died soon after he was born because of complications resulting from childbirth, which the untrained birth assistant was unable to address.

“From my childhood I have always heard about the death of my brother. My poor mother always remembers him and I see tears in her eyes every time she talks about him,” says Sweety. “Whenever I heard this and similar stories, I longed to do something for such mothers and to save the lives of their young babies.”