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Dr. Abdullahi Jawobah takes us deep into the critically overlooked world of maternal mental health, where his groundbreaking research reveals a staggering statistic: approximately 50% of pregnant and lactating mothers in Sierra Leone experience psychological distress. This silent epidemic has far-reaching consequences not only for mothers but for their unborn children, as Dr. Jawobah explains how stress hormones cross the placenta to affect gene expression in developing fetuses. Addressing this is a pathway to reducing stillbirths, preeclampsia, infant malnutrition, and physical health outcomes.

The conversation illuminates how mothers in Sierra Leone express their psychological suffering through culturally specific language—describing their distress as "my heart is spoiled" or "my heart is crying"—rather than using Western terms like depression or anxiety. Dr. Jawobah shares the heartbreaking cultural context where women who undergo cesarean sections may be viewed as "not fit to be women" and mothers whose babies develop malnutrition might be accused of infidelity, creating significant barriers to seeking mental health support.

What makes this episode particularly powerful is Dr. Jawobah's innovative solution: adapting Zimbabwe's "Friendship Bench" intervention for Sierra Leone. By training elderly women from existing mother-to-mother support groups to provide problem-solving therapy, his team created a culturally appropriate support system that produced "phenomenal" results. These elderly women, once feeling marginalized themselves, find new purpose in guiding younger mothers through their challenges, creating a beautiful intergenerational healing model.

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Maternal Health impacts child and family wellbeing, and is an indicator of societal wellbeing as well. Please listen to our podcast episodes on safe childbirth and maternal health to learn more about how health of a mother is basic survival for a child.

If you want to support this work, please give to the HCW Maternal Health Mission

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Firmly Rooted - A new documentary on orphanage response - the right way!

To view the released trailer and sizzle reel, go to https://firmlyrootedfilm.com/

or to https://www.helpingchildrenworldwide.org

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Travel on International Mission with Helping Children Worldwide to Sierra Leone, meet the local leadership and work alongside them. Exchange knowledge, learn from one another and be open to personal transformation. You can step into a 25 year long story of change for children in some of the poorest regions on Earth.

https://www.helpingchildrenworldwide.org/mission-trips.html

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