Most New Zealand women would never imagine giving birth without a midwife or doctor present. Yet for 50% of rural Ethiopian women, this is their reality. Not only is there often no medical help available, but that help can be a two-day walk away.
Challenged by its rugged terrain and developing infrastructure, Ethiopia has made enormous progress in reducing their maternal mortality rate by 70% since 1990. The Hamlin midwives are setting the standard for care in pregnancy and childbirth in Ethiopia, and we need more of these highly trained professionals to combat the risks of unsupported labour to mother and baby.
"Midwifery, I believe, is the answer - to put a well-trained midwife in every village would soon eradicate obstetric fistula."
- Dr Catherine Hamlin
Hamlin Midwives
From the beginning, Dr Reg and Dr Catherine dreamed of training midwives as part of the program of prevention throughout Ethiopia. Catherine opened the Hamlin College of Midwives in 2007. Since then, over 270 Hamlin Midwives have graduated and are making a significant impact in rural communities, drastically reducing rates of fistula and providing quality maternal health care.
What is the Hamlin College of Midwives?
The Hamlin College of Midwives is a centre of excellence for the training of midwives in Ethiopia. It is located 10km outside Addis Ababa on the same grounds as Desta Mender, Hamlin’s Rehabilitation and Reintegration centre.
When you train a midwife, you support the expansion of maternal healthcare in rural Ethiopia. They are key to a fistula-free Ethiopia.
About the Hamlin College of Midwives
The curriculum meets the stringent standards of the International Confederation of Midwives, including the precondition that students conduct at least 40 deliveries before they graduate.
Each student undertakes a four-year Bachelor of Science degree in Midwifery and commits to working as a Hamlin Midwife for a minimum of four years following their graduation. Students are deployed back to their local areas to work in Hamlin-supported midwifery clinics, where their skills are desperately needed. Each student is on a full Hamlin scholarship, funded by generous donors like you.
Hamlin Midwives Save Lives
What is the Impact of a Hamlin Midwife?
The impact of a Hamlin Midwife is remarkable – when a midwife arrives at a Hamlin-supported midwifery clinic, new cases of obstetric fistula drop to almost zero in nearby villages. Hamlin Midwives play an essential role in preventing fistula injuries and saving the lives of hundreds of mothers and babies every year.
Based in more than 90 Hamlin-supported midwifery clinics across rural Ethiopia, these trained professionals also support, nurture and empower women while sharing invaluable knowledge, building trusting networks and transforming entire communities.
Impact of Midwifery Clinics
Over the past year alone, Hamlin Midwives have safely delivered over 40,000 babies.
The importance of these health professionals cannot be overemphasised. Every day, approximately 800 women around the world die as a result of complications from pregnancy and childbirth. If midwives were present during birth, up to 90% of these deaths could be prevented, according to the International Confederation of Midwives.
In rural Ethiopia, just 50% of women have access to medical care during their pregnancy, so the increasing number of midwives in rural communities is vital to ensure women no longer suffer for days on end in an obstructed labour.
Hamlin’s Postgraduate Masters in Midwifery
Hamlin Fistula Ethiopia’s Postgraduate Masters of Science Degree in Clinical Midwifery at the Hamlin College of Midwives began in January 2022. All students are on a full scholarship, thanks to our generous supporters.
As a postgraduate program, the Masters consists of 55 credit hours of study and 582 hours of clinical practice that will be completed over two and a half years of study.
Key outcomes of Hamlin’s Masters in Midwifery
- Reduce crisis referrals to Hamlin hospitals for emergency caesarean section deliveries due to early detection of pregnancy/childbirth complications by Hamlin Midwives
- Reduce new incidences of obstetric fistula and maternal/neonatal deaths
- Increase number of safe deliveries of newborn babies
- Provide quality neonatal care post childbirth
Equip a young midwife with a scholarship
