Expanding Our Maternal & Infant Health Camps
Volunteer AHA Nurse Midwife Emily with the team at Kabudula Community Hospital and the generous donations to the Labor and Delivery ward
At AHA, we believe that strengthening maternal and newborn care is one of the most powerful ways to impact families and communities. Today, we are excited to share a growing opportunity for volunteers with skills and experience in caring for women and infants.
For the past two years, our dedicated volunteer nurse-midwife, Emily, has traveled to Kabudula twice annually, to work alongside the labor and delivery team. Her commitment has created a trusted partnership with the local staff, who have been receptive, collaborative, and eager to learn during each visit.
AHA’s Women’s and Infant Health Camps operate within the daily rhythm of the maternity ward. Emily and her team begin early each morning, working directly with staff and supporting women in labor.
In addition to bedside mentorship, she leads four days of continuing education sessions for nurses, nurse-midwives, and clinicians. These sessions are grounded in WHO guidelines and include thoughtful comparisons between labor practices in Malawi and the United States. During her most recent visit, Emily introduced case-study-based discussions, a format that sparked meaningful dialogue and rich professional exchange. The enthusiasm and engagement from the Kabudula team was truly inspiring.
To extend the impact beyond Kabudula and ensure that rural clinics who refer to Kabudula know more about early labor warning signs, AHA brings in two nurse-midwives from surrounding rural health centers to study alongside Emily and attend the continuing education sessions.
These nurse-midwives, as well as Kabudula’s full-time staff, serve on the front lines of maternal care. Investing in their training strengthens the broader referral network and improves outcomes far beyond one facility.
Volunteer with Us!
As this program continues to flourish, we are proud to offer exciting opportunities to expand our reach and deepen our impact. If you or someone you know has expertise in labor and delivery, gynecologic surgery, or newborn care, we would love to begin a conversation about joining this growing initiative. Here are just a few of the volunteer opportunities we have available:
1. Labor & Delivery Nursing Support: Kabudula’s maternity team works tirelessly, often managing multiple active deliveries at once. This workload can make it difficult to closely monitor women in early labor. We are seeking experienced labor and delivery nurses who can help strengthen skills in monitoring fetal heart rates and maternal blood pressure. These are critical tools for recognizing fetal distress and preventing complications.
2. Gynecologic Surgery Mentorship: Kabudula has two skilled clinicians performing numerous cesarean sections and select gynecologic procedures. They already participate in our general surgery camps, and we would love to support them in expanding their capacity to address additional gynecologic needs. Providers with experience in gynecologic surgery can play a pivotal role in mentorship and skill development in a rural setting.
3. Newborn Care Specialists: Kabudula is home to an extraordinary clinician, Lemson, who cares for newborns in distress. His dedication is remarkable, and he is nearly always present when we visit. Partnering him with a newborn care specialist could truly elevate the care provided at Kabudula.
We are eager to connect with neonatologists, pediatricians, neonatal nurses, and other newborn care providers who would be willing to mentor and support Lemson and the broader team. Please respond to this email to start the conversation!
Together, we can continue building healthier futures for women and infants across rural Malawi.
Nurse Midwife Emily, donating a portable Oxygen Concentrator to the Labor and Delivery ward at Kabudula Community Hospital for use with neonates when the power goes out, or when they need transport to Lilongwe.