my new favorite book

I cannot put it down!  It is called Monique and the Mango Rains: Two Years with a Midwife in Mali.   Kyle actually introduced me to this story as it was featured a bit ago on NPR's The World.  It is told by a Peace Corps volunteer in Mali who was paired up with a lovely young lady, Monique, a lay person trained as a 'health professional' who delivers all the town's babies.  The maternal mortality rate in Mali is roughly one in twelve which is just unacceptable.  Most women there are also victims of female genital mutilation which can complicate the birth process aside from being cruel and unusual punishment.  I'm describing the book as if it's a downer, but it's inspiring, enlightening and makes me want to go out and save the world more than I already do.  Amazon.com accidentally sent me two copies of the book, so anyone who reads this and wants the copy, let me know, early bird gets the worm! :)

Can you imagine? A concrete birthing table in a brick and clay house with the hot sun beating down on you?

Inside the maternity ward...No running water, a dirt floor, only a few pairs of gloves, and thankfully a few supplies like Pitocin for cases of postpartum hemorrhage.

  Beautiful Monique...despite all the advances she made as one small person, she too, died in childbirth. (Don't worry, I'm not ruining the story, it's made known in the intro of the book)

We are so blessed to live in a country where we have the technological advances to protect us if needed, but unfortunately these interventions are being thrown around all willy nilly and actually hurting our women.  Check out this great story about lay people in Africa being trained as surgeons.