Smile Motherhood Programme archive

MASTER Ayodele Emmanuel

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!