Mothers are the lighthouses of healthy families. The heart of vibrant communities. Within our societies, mothers help to nurture the ideals, morals and traditions that form the fabric of our societies. We all know the importance of mothers in Islam, as Abu Huraira reported that a person said: Allah’s Messenger, who amongst the people is most deserving of my good treatment? He said: Your mother, again your mother, again your mother…” [Book 32, Number 6181]
Yet, every two minutes a woman dies during pregnancy or childbirth. And 60% of preventable maternal deaths occur in settings of conflict, displacement and natural disasters.
When it comes to these emergencies, many that we are currently witnessing now, from Gaza to Sudan and many other places in the world, health systems are often strained and the most vulnerable—mothers and children—face additional barriers to care. Some threats include dehydration, lack of access to safe water, food insecurity, lack of temperature control, and Vector-borne diseases.
While we don’t necessarily have control over natural disasters or other catastrophes, we do have the power to prevent nearly all maternal deaths with existing tools and proven interventions. For example, according to UNICEF, proven interventions such as having a skilled birth attendant could prevent more than 40 percent of newborn deaths. Yet in 2021, almost one in five births were not attended by skilled health personnel.
To address these issues directly, the ‘For Mama’ Campaign was launched in 2023 as a response to the urgent – but solvable – global maternal health crisis.
Led by a coalition of U.S. and U.K. faith-inspired philanthropies and donors, the ‘For Mama Campaign’ aims to mobilize the power of our communities to put an end to preventable maternal deaths around the world, which unjustly impact our most vulnerable women whose needs and experiences are too often overlooked.
Isra Chaker, who is leading this campaign says, “‘For Mama’ is the first-of-its-kind campaign mobilizing the Muslim community to advocate and prioritize giving to mothers’ and babies’ health. The power of the Muslim philanthropic community is tremendous and harnessing that collective power will transform lives in the US and globally- whether that is in Gaza, South Sudan, Mali, Yemen, Syria, Pakistan…”
The campaign challenges all of us to think what we can—and should do—’for mama’ to ensure that life-saving interventions reach the mothers and babies who need them most.
Sheikh Abdelrahman Murphy also shares the importance to come together for this cause, “to develop the ability and the resource to provide protection and health care and security in a prosperous society and civilization that has access and means to make sure that every woman who wants to and plans to has the chance, to hear that beautiful word, ‘Mama.’”
We invite you to join Penny Appeal USA, along with 20 other North American and U.K. charities to raise crucial resources to save the lives of moms and babies around the world. One of the ways Penny Appeal USA is dedicated to uplifting both mothers and babies is through our OrphanKind campaign, where we empower vulnerable children, helping them with food, education, healthcare, and clothing. So when you donate to the ‘For Mama’ campaign, you are directly helping an orphaned child and their mother – making a significant impact on their lives.
Our program isn’t just local, we operate globally in countries like India and Pakistan, to Palestine and Yemen, Somalia, Sudan, just to name a few. To provide a snapshot, in Pakistan, the program provides support such as educational kits, school fees, food packs, to make sure orphaned children have access to education, nutrition, and a brighter future. The program also supports girls’ education and motivates and trains mothers/guardians to ensure regular school attendance.
There are many other ways Penny Appeal USA supports both mothers and their children and we invite you to learn more at pausa.org/orphankind.
Global maternal mortality statistics are jarring, and within Muslim-majority countries it’s even more. But it doesn’t have to be. With existing tools and proven interventions, we can prevent many of these deaths. In addition, with your support and generosity, we can create a profound difference through acts of kindness and care for them.
Mothers give us life and now it’s time to give all we can #ForMama.
Learn more about how Penny Appeal USA is taking action ‘For Mama’ at pausa.org/formama.
