According to the World Health Organization, a woman dies every minute in childbirth. Many of these deaths could be avoided if there was access to the right maternal healthcare.
The Cambridge VSO (Voluntary Service Overseas) Supporter Group is hoping to raise funds so that VSO can send skilled volunteers, such as doctors and midwives, to developing countries to train local staff in the healthcare profession. Read Grace’s story to learn more about inadequate maternal health care and how VSO health volunteers are helping mothers and children in Malawi.
The VSO ‘In Her Shoes’ sponsored walk will take place on Sunday 8th May at 11am starting and finishing at the popular Lammas Land Recreation Ground in Newnham, Cambridge. The walk will take in both the city and Granchester, taking around 2.5 hours to walk approximately 11KM. Those who cannot manage the full walk can choose to do whichever section they like. Sign up at www.inhershoes.org.uk and set up your own sponsorship webpage to start fundraising.
“In Her Shoes” offers something for everyone from individual keen walkers, groups of friends and families with children. To add to the fun, participants are being encouraged to be imaginative, go glitzy and decorate their walking shoes! Walkers can get lots of great ideas by checking out designs from comedienne Miranda Hart and Newsnight’s Emily Maitlis, plus for extra inspiration, queen of morning TV Lorraine Kelly has donated a pair of her much loved shoes. See them all at www.inhershoes.org.uk.
“In Her Shoes” is hoping to attract at least 100 walkers from in and around Cambridge. VSO is hoping to raise around £40,000 in total from all its UK walks for its vital work in healthcare.
VSO’s fundraising development manager, Jane Quayle, said: “The impact of our health volunteers’ work is significant but we urgently need more funds to maintain and strengthen the flow of volunteers to where they’re needed most. Even today in Malawi 1 woman in 18 still dies in childbirth; in Sierra Leone it is 1 in 8. Every woman, regardless of where she lives in the world, should have access to good maternal health care.”
To find out more, visit www.inhershoes.org.uk or contact [email protected]. You can also join the Facebook event.
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Article published on behalf of VSO Cambridge.
