Smile Motherhood Programme archive
Mrs Michael was our first beneficiary. Her reality made us realise the enormity of the task before us, including the heart-breaking fact that many of the women in our pilot state were living in conditions unfit for humans talk more of pregnant women. A subsistence farmer who worked alongside her husband; yet received little to no emotional and sufficient financial support from him. She was 20 weeks gone when she became a beneficiary of the Foundation. Our preliminary investigations were disturbing as we discovered that despite her condition and history of miscarriages, she was involved in the strenuous tasks involved with subsistence farming. Similarly, she shares a one-room apartment with her husband’s other wife and four other children. We were also appalled by reports that she had been subjected to physical and emotional abuse. We arranged counselling for her and her husband. In line with our needs-based approach for our beneficiaries, we took care of her medical bills, bought her maternity care items, and provided food items till she gave birth. She gave birth to a baby boy! Earlier this year, we organised a surprise birthday party for her son!
Read the complete family journeyComplete family journey
This canonical record brings the published family journey together inside the new VSF archive. The source record lists 53 historical photographs.
Only information published in the original record is included. Where a stage had no substantive public detail, no new detail has been added.
Pregnancy support
The public record identifies Mrs Michael as VSF’s first beneficiary. It records that she joined while pregnant after previous losses, alongside financial pressure, demanding farm work and a difficult home environment. VSF arranged counselling and provided medical support, maternity items and food through the pregnancy.
Delivery
The legacy record confirms the birth of a baby boy. It does not publish a delivery date, method, facility or further clinical detail, so none is added here.
Naming celebration
The original programme record includes a christening, or naming-ceremony, gallery. It records a celebration with the family and programme team, but no date, location or naming details were publicly published.
Later milestone
The legacy pregnancy record says VSF later organised a surprise birthday party for the child. The source does not state a date, age or whether this was a first birthday.
Historic programme photographs
A small selection is shown here. The full documented photograph set remains preserved with the canonical record.
Family voice
“Victoria’s Smile Foundation found me when I was four months pregnant. I had lost two pregnancies, I was severely malnourished and overworked. They took care of me; gave me food, paid for my medical bills, listened to all my fears and allayed them. They bought everything I needed to ease labour and delivery. It is because of them that I have this baby to hold. I don’t know how else to thank them but I am forever grateful.”
Mrs Elizabeth Michael, Emiloro, Ondo
