Target reached!
We've reached our target! As a brand new support project, we still require further f...
Project MAMA
Bristol, England, United Kingdom
Aim
Help raise crucial funds to support mothers-to-be seeking asylum in the UK and commemorate International Women's Day & Mothers Day 2018.
Project MAMA is committed to offering one-to-one support for aslyum-seeking women in desperate need of pre & post-natal support in Bristol. Women who are seeking asylum and have an uncertain immigration status have difficulties accessing healthcare in the UK. As such, these women are three times more likely to die in childbirth and four times more likely to suffer postnatal depression than other women in the UK. Their babies are at risk, and are more likely to have a low birth weight, be born prematurely, have birth defects or be stillborn.
We believe that every mother has the right to give birth safely, make informed choices and recieve the support she needs for a positive birth and early parenting experience.
Refugee and asylum-seeking women are at particular risk on their journey to escape persecution or life-threatening instability in their home country. Human trafficking and modern slavery is a serious factor threatening their safety along the way; an estimated two thirds of female refugees in the UK are surviviors of sexual assualt which often results in pregnanacy. This is a direct consequence of forced migration, and these women desperately need our support.
The women referred to Project MAMA often have no family or community around them during pregnancy, labour and in the crucial weeks after the baby is born. With an uncertain immigration status, these women deal with the pressures of a new motherhood whilst navigating an unfamiliar healthcare system, leaving them with a terrifying and lonely experience. Project MAMA is working to address this serious gap in services to vulnerable women during this challenging time.
Project MAMA will support an isolated mother-to-be throughout her pregnancy. One of our team of specialist volunteer Mother Companions (MC's) will be by her side during labour and childbirth, providing a nurturing presence and emotional and practical support. A new mother will then be supported by her MC through the challenging first weeks of parenting, ensuring that a new mama has all that she needs around her.
Within our first week of launch, we recieved six referrals from women in need of support as well as referrals from from partner organisations in Bristol. This highlights the need for compassionate woman-focused support.
The mamas we support are resillient, strong and have been through more than any of us can fathom. You can do something amazing through donating to our campaign in celebration of International Women's Day and Mothers Day this year, to give women and their new families the best possible beginnings.
Project MAMA is run entirely on volunteer power and is a hive of midwives, activists and birth companions as part of a network of skills, support and solidarity for these women and their children. Despite being volunteer run, certain expenses are vital for us to continue this support, including client travel, language translation services, building rental and training costs, to name but a few.
We have recieved a grant from Lush Cosmetics of £8,000 in start-up funding to ensure that we have enough to begin our vital work. We now must raise at least another £2, 000 to fund the on-going work of Project MAMA. With your vital contribution, we can achieve this goal and continue to provide support for these vulnerable women.
Thank you so much for your support,
Fiona and the Project MAMA Team
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This project successfully funded on 12th April 2018