National Safe Motherhood Day

April 11 marks National Safe Motherhood Day. It’s a time for society and organizations like Anera to reflect and ask the question: how can we protect the wellness of mothers during pregnancy and later in life?

Through Anera’s programs, we have witnessed the resilience and resourcefulness of Middle Eastern mothers, such as those in Lebanon and Gaza who go without electricity for hours at a time. We continuously ask ourselves; What can we do to make their lives easier?

Thanks to the generous donations from our community of supporters, Anera has been able to provide aid and development projects that improve the lives of mothers in the Middle East by promoting the growth of job skills, food security, access to education for children, good healthcare options and more.

Here’s are some of the ways Anera’s community supports mothers in the Middle East:

Supporting Career Growth For Mothers

Anera empowers mothers and women in the Middle East to develop job-related skills that they can either apply to their existing entrepreneurial endeavors or to future jobs. 

Women like Tahani, a mother of five, and the sole breadwinner for her family, have greatly benefited from Anera’s career growth opportunities, such as Women Can. She applied to the program to learn about beekeeping, and raise money for her family. 

“I’ve sold almost 80% of my honey products. It’s an exciting accomplishment for me.” – Tahani

Providing Mothers With the Means to Grow Their Own Food

Anera has installed 49 rooftop gardens across Gaza. The gardens provide families with a ready supply of fresh vegetables.

Suhad Zayed and her family are one of the participating households. She and her kids collect vegetables from their rooftop garden every morning for use in their daily meals.

Additionally, Anera makes sure the nutritional needs of children are met at school. This can be a huge relief for mothers who do not have the means to provide breakfast for their children. 

Our Farms to Fasool program provides farm-fresh breakfast to children who face food insecurity. 

Helping Their Children Get an Education

Early years are crucial for children and their parents. Anera helps ensure that parents have the information they need to develop healthy relationships with their children. 

Our positive parenting sessions educate parents on the different activities offered in preschool for their children and how they might learn. These sessions also give parents information about the characteristics, problem-solving abilities, strengths and weaknesses of their children in order to deal with them appropriately.

Ensuring Mothers and Their Families Have Access to Proper Healthcare

We are consistently teaming up with partners in the areas we serve to distribute life-saving medications. From diabetes and cancer meds to necessary hygienic products such as toilet paper and soap, Anera works with the local community to improve health. 

For instance, our medical donations team in the West Bank and Gaza delivered 54 shipments of medicines and healthcare supplies to 87 clinics and hospitals across Palestine. These medical donations will positively impact families of all kinds. 

Together, Anera’s community continues to empower mothers in the Middle East through strategic programming in Lebanon, Jordan, and Palestine. Support our programming here.