Mother's Day Campaign Empowering Women to Save Lives: The Adventure Project.

The Adventure Project and One Day’s Wages are partnering this Mother’s Day to change the face of maternal health and child mortality in Uganda and I would love to invite you to join us as an advocate. Our goal is to rally influential women like yourself to join us in raising their voices to bring female Community Health Promoters (CHP’s) into villages in Uganda.

Thanks to the generosity of One Day’s Wages, each dollar raised will be matched, up to $25K. Our goal is to raise $50K, which will train 25 women living in poverty to become a CHP. If successful, we can provide 20,000 people with access to lifesaving healthcare.

THE PROBLEM

• In Africa, one child dies every minute form preventable diseases. On average, the treatments cost less than a cup of coffee.
• Women in developing countries are 14 times more likely to die during childbirth than those in developed regions.
• In Uganda, one out of every 44 women dies in childbirth. In the US, it’s one-in-every 1,800 women. 
• In Sub-Saharan Africa there are only 2.3 healthcare workers for every 1,000 people (compared to 24 healthcare workers for every 1,000 people in America).

THE SOLUTION

• The Adventure Project, together with our local partner, recruits women who are leaders in their communities to serve at CHPs.
• Women receive trainmen which equips them to diagnose and treat preventable illnesses (e.g. Malaria, diarrhea and respiratory illnesses) by selling over 60 lifesaving products to their neighbors at affordable prices. 
• Each CHP treats an average of 800 people, paying special attention to infants and pregnant women.
• Data shows these women are reducing child mortality by more than 25 percent in their communities.

Prepare for Mommy's first Mother's Day

If diamonds are a girl's best friend, than health is a mother's. Which means the best way for new mommies to treat themselves this Mother's Day is by taking care of themselves and their babies. Mommies must alter their lifestyle to ensure a healthy baby from day 1. But with so much information out there how can a first-time mommy expect to know the right prenatal vitamins or foods to be eating?

Tips on Eating for You – And for Two

• Foods high in fiber

Keep your body moving with high fiber foods including beans, whole-grain breads, fresh fruits, fresh vegetables and high fiber cereals. The USDA recommends pregnant women eat 6-11 servings of grains and 4+ servings of vegetables a day.

• Dairy (or non-dairy alternatives)

Drink your calcium! Whether you choose cow's milk or non-dairy drinks like rice milk, soy milk, or almond milk, make sure you drink at least four servings a day so that you reach the necessary 1000-1300 mg of calcium that your body needs during this time. Yogurt and cheese are other excellent sources of calcium, but be aware that some yogurt is loaded with sugar.

• Iron-rich foods

Enjoy iron rich foods that are also high in protein including meat, poultry, seafood and eggs, but make sure they are fully cooked or pasteurized (see Foods to Avoid, below). You should be getting 27 mg of iron each day. Take your iron with vitamin C rich foods to ensure good absorption.

• Foods high in vitamin C and vitamin A

Did you know that a green pepper has more vitamin C than an orange? To get the daily recommended 70 mg of vitamin C, eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. Orange vegetables and green vegetables will help you meet your vitamin A requirements.

• Folic acid

Many cereals are fortified with folic acid, but you can find it naturally in beans and dark green leafy vegetables like kale and spinach. It is vital to start taking folic acid before you conceive to decrease the risk of birth defects.

• Prenatal Vitamins

Even if you do eat a healthy diet, the USDA and doctors recommend taking a prenatal multivitamin every day. A prenatal vitamin like Rainbow Light's Prenatal One™ Multivitamin or Complete Prenatal System™ Multivitamin provides the extra folic acid, iron and other nutrients that support the important nutritional needs that your growing baby requires.