Mamas United -No woman should die giving life!

Many organizations work to make local impact in order to generate national change. However, Maternity Foundation has created the Safe Delivery App to make global change through the simple use of technology.
Every day, 800 women die due to complications during pregnancy or birth. Maternity Foundation therefore works toward their vision ‘No Woman Should Die Giving Birth.

Mamas United, representing Maternity Foundation, will be competing in Global Goals World Cup in New York. They are playing for the UN Global Goal #3: Health and Wellbeing and they also competed in GGWCup in Kenya in March.

Maternity Foundation’s headquarters are in Denmark, while its workers are based all over the world - primarily in Africa and Southeast Asia. The Safe Delivery App aims to empower skilled birth attendants to provide a safer birth. It includes educational features easy-to-understand animated instruction videos and information about proper use of medications, etc.

Lise Knudsen, Head of Communications for Maternity Foundation and team member of Mamas United, looks forward to bringing their mission to New York. She establishes partnerships for Maternity Foundation to enable their work on an international level and is constantly spreading awareness about the maternal mortality rates.

“Our vision is that no woman should die giving life. All women regardless of where they live have the right to a safe birth,” Knudsen said. “That’s our dream.”

The signature Mamas United Bellies are a great conversation starter about maternal health

The Fake Bellies

Hummel is sponsoring Mamas United with uniforms that have prosthetic bellies. It may sound unusual to be playing with a fake belly, but it essentially portrays the concept behind ‘uniting Mamas’ on a team with women who look like they are nine months pregnant. Mamas United played with these fake bellies in Kenya and their message was clearly conveyed.

Knudsen said it was an amazing spark for conversation about maternal mortality rates and the fate of motherhood. Its visual impact was a perfect way for the team to raise awareness within the GGWCup spectators and residents of Kenya.

Preparing for New York

For Mamas United, the UNGA Week in New York is an opportunity to shed light on mortality rates during birth and to show the work that Maternity Foundation has implemented worldwide through their app.

“You feel like the whole world is coming together to address all these major issues. It’s even more exciting when you’re a small Danish NGO like us to be a part of this big time agenda in New York,”  
Lise Knudsen, Head of communication Maternity Foundation.

The Team

United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) co-founded Mamas United with Maternity Foundation. They plan to finalize Mamas United team roster during these upcoming weeks before the tournament in September. The team players for Mamas United in Kenya consisted mostly of representatives from different organizations in the nation (Nursing Council of Kenya, AMREF, and Ministry of Health).

Since the United States is not the market for Maternity Foundation’s work and their Safe Delivery App, they are looking to convene women who are working for maternal health on a global scale for Mamas United New York roster. We look forward to meeting the team in New York!