Friday, May 29, 2009

Women dying giving birth in the Congo.


Did you know that more than 30,000 women die in childbirth every year in the Congo? I just learned about it from this post at ORTV/Crossroads Magazine.

There is a short video clip about a Waterbury priest who will be sending a donated van to the Congo to be used as an ambulance for the mothers ready to give birth. He needs funds to ship the van and would also like to fill it up with medical supplies. Currently they have to walk miles to the medical facility when they are in labor and many of them don't make it to that destination. They end of giving birth along the way and most of them sadly die in the process.

Please think about helping even in a small way. Every bit will help. Think about the vast difference in our birth experiences and these women in the Congo. As Father says in the video, we are all one Body of Christ, when one member suffers, we all suffer.

Our Lord wants us to care for one another and to help alleviate suffering. What can we do to help?

5 comments:

jamiecharles6 said...

Another way to help the women of the Congo is to help them send their children to school. For a small monthly fee of just $10 you can send a Congolese child to school. 100% of the sponsorship fee is sent directly to the child in need - NONE of it is used to cover the administrative expenses of the program in the US. To learn more or to choose a child to help please visit www.hishandsforafrica.org or visit our blogspot - http://hishandsforafrica.blogspot.com.

Thank you!
J Charles

CrossroadsMagazine said...

Donna,
Thanks for posting the story! In interviewing the people in this report, I learned that the joyful experience of childbearing can often be a fearful time for the young women of the Congo. May Fr. Honore's mission help them more fully experience the joy of life.

Anonymous said...

Wow, thank you so much for your help in our mission to get the word out! I'm deeply touched that anyone reads our blog, let alone feels the urge to help. I am strengthened and heartened by your caring.

Thank you.

Darlena from Crossroads

Donna-Marie Cooper O'Boyle said...

Dear Crossroads Magazine,

You are very welcome. I sure hope that others will do something too. Those poor women. We have so much abundance of wealth and resources here. We need to share it! We need to have our eyes opened to others who need us. Jesus asks us to feed the hungry and clothe the naked, etc. In the end, that's how we will be judged - by how much we have loved!

God bless you!
Donna-Marie

Donna-Marie Cooper O'Boyle said...

Hi Darlene,

I just recently came across your blog and I think it's great! I have also had the pleasure of being filmed by Crossroads Magazine about my books and my friendship with Blessed Mother Teresa. Thank you for that.

I pray that my simple blog post may help to open eyes and hearts to the plight of these women. I'll try to post again soon. If you get any additional information, please let me know.

Thanks for all that you do!

God bless!
Donna-Marie