Blue Almonds for Mothers2Mothers: The power of women helping women
At Blue Almonds we know that the goal of every parent is to make the world a better place for their children to grow up in. For us, that includes helping to improve the lives of mothers and their children in communities in sub-saharan Africa.
On 16th October 2024, we hosted an event for the charity Mothers2Mothers, with special guest speaker ITV's Dr Sara Kayat.
During the event Blue Almonds’ founder/owner Izabela Minkiewicz also announced that she has recently been made an ambassador for Mothers2Mothers, and that it is her honour and duty to shed a light on the amazing work that the charity does.
A unique format of empowerment
During her introduction Izabela empahsised the need to refocus on HIV/AIDS, as the condition has not gone away. 70% of the world’s HIV burden is in Sub-Saharan Africa, and the unique format of Mothers2Mothers means we can help in a way that is not intrusive or insensitive to the women in those communities.
Although HIV is not yet curable there is a therapy available to manage the virus, allowing people with HIV to live long, healthy lives and effectively bring the transmission rate to zero.
The main way that Mothers2Mothers helps is by empowering women living with HIV to become community healthcare workers. They are called ‘Mentor Mothers’ and being already embedded in the community, they can deliver education and services to their peers, using their shared realities and experiences.
Kate Hamilton: Hope, success and the future
The concept of Mothers2Mothers came to Dr Mitch Besser when he realised that his translator, a local woman who was sensitive to the needs of his patients, had great success in connecting with them. He then created a plan to employ former patients (who had been successfully treated and given birth to an HIV-free child) as peers called ‘Mentor Mothers’ to help others walk the same path.
The ‘Mentor Mothers’ give hope to the newly diagnosed, that HIV is not a death sentence and it isn’t a given that the HIV will pass to their unborn child. Mothers2Mothers uses local women to give peer-to-peer advice and support and to help make sure they have the appropriate care and medication.
"Last year (2023) is the first time that the charity has achieved a transmission rate of 0% - no babies of enrolled clients were born HIV positive - which is an enormous achievement."
On the back of this amazing success, they are widening out the remit of the charity to educate about, and screen for other women’s health issues, such as breast cancer and HPV virus.
Dr Sara Kayat’s life-changing and personal experience with Mothers2Mothers
Dr Sara Kayat is a fellow Mothers2Mothers ambassador, but is perhaps more well known for being the resident GP on ITVs 'This Morning' as well as her numerous other television appearances. Dr Sara has also recently published a book called 'How to Have a Baby: The essential unbiased guide to pregnancy, birth and beyond'.
Dr Sara told us about her personal experience on an expedition in Africa as a Doctor, and how much she loved seeing the ‘Mentor Mother’ model in action. She explained to us that it is an extremely effective model, and achieves so much with limited resources.
The Mentor Mothers’ care goes beyond healthcare to also provide hope and empowerment. An HIV diagnosis doesn’t have to be the end, but a new beginning. Women often feel ashamed, stigmatised, alone and afraid after a diagnosis, but the care that Mothers2Mothers provides helps rebuild their confidence and fulfils emotional needs as well as providing the necessary medical treatment.
Dr Sara pointed out the uplifting and positive ripple effect of Mentor Mothers that she observed reaching out through the whole community, and the strength and dignity it provides to those who are diagnosed.
"We all know that motherhood is overwhelming enough without an HIV diagnosis, but there is a tremendous power in women helping women."
The power to make a change
Blue Almonds’ founder, Izabela summed up the event by saying that helping charities like Mothers2Mothers sets a great example for our own kids. We have the power to make a change, and because we can - we should and we must.
Blue Almonds is committed to helping Mothers2Mothers raise money long term, by donating 10% of all revenue from our signature Blue Almonds x Kissy Kissy collection. We also provide people the opportunity to make one-off donations via this special link.
