Maternal Health & Childcare Training

2011 Tounfite Maternal Health & Childcare Training Participants

This is an annual training led by health volunteers in my area, along with the help of volunteers from other sectors, like me. There were seven of us in total, along with my counterpart Rebha, who helped to organize and facilitate the event. The training was the fourth consecutive training of trainers, aimed at addressing the high maternal and infant mortality rates of the High Atlas Mountain region surrounding Tounfite.

Over sixteen women from eleven different douars (tiny villages scattered throughout the mountains) convened for the 3-day training on October 16-24 at the Tounfite Birthing Center. A month or so before the training, we hiked into the surrounding mountains to recruit women for the training. 


The training was funded by a grant from the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF). This allowed us to pay my host family to host the women in their home for the length of the training. It was a lot of work for them as they had over sixteen women to prepare breakfast, lunch and dinner for each day, along with regular daily household chores. They did a brilliant job opening their home to the women. 

Each day after breakfast the women walked to the birthing center for morning training sessions as outlined below. The afternoons were dedicated to review and the practicing of teach backs in small groups, using the information learned in the morning sessions.

Day One: Introductions, Womens Health Problems of the Atlas Region, Purpose of training-Encourage Prenatal & Postnatal Visits at the hospital and the Encourage Giving Birth at the Hospital vs. Home, Womens Anatomy and Sexual Development, Intercourse and Fertility Cycles, Family Planning, Sexually Transmitted Infections

Day Two: Pregnancy, Nutrition, Birthing Process, Newborn and Infant Care, Breast Feeding and Maternal Care

Day Three: Personal Hygiene and Common/Basic Newborn and Infant Illnesses

On the last evening we held a celebration dinner and presented certificates of participation to each of the women. 

                 

The most important part of the training was the opportunity to provide female leaders from rural areas a safe space to discuss sensitive topics from female sexual and reproductive anatomy to proper condom use. Also, a big focus was educating the women on teaching skills; trainees were required to practice, rehearse, and teach back the topics they learned to other trainees. This helped to better prepare the women for the teach backs they will facilitate upon return to their villages.

It was impressive to see the dedication and focus the trainees had in retaining the knowledge they learned and putting it into practice. At one point we observed one trainee speaking to a group of women, who were waiting in line outside the hospital, about the importance of family planning. This was done of her own volition and not prompted by any volunteer or community partner.

The training was huge success and exceeded all of our expectations as volunteers. Many of the women who have participated in the past proclaimed that this year's event was also one of the best organized and most useful. I'm look forward to making visits into the mountains to help the new Rural Health Educators kick-off their first teach-back to other women in their villages.

While the training was on very serious and culturally taboo topics, there were as always, a few humorous moments which I will share with you...


The first was on the second day, when we asked the women as a group, "where do babies come from?" and a few very serious responses were fingers pointed at the sky and the exclamation, 'sug Rrbie' which means 'from God'. Ah, Bless. 

The second was during one of my afternoon small group sessions. I was reviewing family planning with my four women and I asked them to name the four ways to prevent an unwanted pregnancy. We had covered the topic in the morning and the correct answers were; birth control pill, injection birth control, intrauterine device (IUD) and condoms. The women were able to name the first three with ease and then struggled for awhile, before one lovely lady exclaimed, "ariyaz adil3ab duh ixfinus" which literally translates to...'the man should just play with himself.' 
I managed to contain the fit of giggles inside me, until I was back at my house with the other volunteers. 

The Peace Corps Crew

My Afternoon Small Discussion Group

Practicing Teach Backs

My Small Group Presenting their Teach Back Topic

Morning Sessions

Showing the women and IUD

Practicing the Correct Way to Wash Your Hands

Last Evening's Celebration Dinner/Party