Midwives share stories

Master Nurse Sr. Angela Limiyo, who manages the pre-Nursing Program for Mercy Beyond Borders, spent a week in Detroit last month as the guest of University of Detroit-Mercy School of Nursing and Health Professions.  Pictured here with Angela, left to right, are university faculty members Gail Presbey, Maureen Anthony and Judy Mouch.  Angela was particularly interested in midwifery practices in the US, since one in six women in S.Sudan dies in childbirth.

The School of Nursing at UD-M is generously sponsoring Diko Jeska, one of MBB's S.Sudanese nursing students, with a full scholarship in Africa.  With UD-M leading the way, MBB hopes that other Schools of Nursing in the US will consider partnering with us to sponsor additional nurses for South Sudan, a country with some of the worst maternal/child health statistics in the world.

MBB is HIRING!

Who said change is wonderful?  It doesn't always feel that way... After helping MBB for 5 years, our Office Manager, Coleen, has decided to move on to new adventures.... Aaaargh, so I am searching to hire the perfect replacement...Let's see, that would be someone who leaps tall buildings in a single bound, bilocates without breaking a sweat, works uncomplainingly with vendors and recalcitrant copy machines, finds data entry to be an utterly fascinating pasttime, and brings chocolates for the boss .... Well, seriously, MBB is accepting resumes for a 20 hr/wk Office Manager proficient in MS Office, Quickbooks, and Constant Contact, who can handle all our back-office functions and also work with the ED and Board to expand our social media presence. We definitely want someone passionate about our mission of partnering with displaced women and girls in ways that alleviate extreme poverty.  The ideal candidate will also be well-connected to the young adult population in Silicon Valley.

This is a contract position; $20/hr. w flexible scheduling.   If you know someone in the SF Bay Area who fits the bill, please encourage them to send a cover letter and resume to mercybeyondborders@yahoo.com. Thanks!

Yes, GOOGLE is a place!

Last month our staff from S.Sudan enjoyed a visit to California for some planning, and of course some R and R.  Here Dori Alexandre (left), our newest MBB Board Member from Haiti,  tours Emmanuel Dan and Edvine Tumwesigye around the Google campus in Mountain View where she works. We were rather awed by Google's employee perks: the 24 free cafeterias (!), onsite game arcade, laundry room and bowling alley, campus bikes, and transit buses.
And as if to emphasize how different things are in South Sudan, we learned that it is one of the last places on the planet not yet fully mapped by Google Earth!

Scholarly Pursuits

Meet Valencia, one of MBB's top academic scholars in Haiti. Her daily schedule demands much more than attention to books. She must also do the family chores, including washing the laundry in the nearby river. She's not complaining! She is thrilled to be on scholarship, secure in the knowledge that MBB will support her dream of becoming an agronomist. 

Home, not alone

With childhood mortality extremely high, families in S.Sudan tend to bear many children. It then falls on the young girls to be caretakers of their even younger siblings. That's one reason (among many others) that girls have less opportunity to attend school. They are home--not alone--but taking care of their brothers and sisters.  It is not unusual to see a 5-yr old caring for several younger ones. That's just how it is if you are born female in S.Sudan.

Mercy Beyond Borders funds a weekly radio program in S.Sudan promoting girls' education and raising awareness of the long-term benefits for families when they allow ALL their children to attend school.

Businesses Rising!

Carolina knows a thing or two about baking bread over a charcoal fire. She is also business-savvy, opting to locate her bakery near a clinic and the offices of several major UN agencies. When her loaves rise, so do her profits!

Mercy Beyond Borders has given micro-loans to Carolina and 84 other women in S.Sudan.  Despite the many obstacles that women face in their culture, 79 of these loan recipients  have started successful small businesses.