We are a diverse team made up of individuals from different backgrounds but we have a common bond uniting all of us; our passion for maternal and child health in developing countries. We describe ourselves as Young, Energetic and Determined to achieve our vision.
Martha is a Registered Midwife, Sexual and Reproductive health and rights (SRHR) specialist with over 4 years of experience with hospitals in both rural and urban areas in Cameroon. She is the first Cameroonian young Midwife Leader (YML) with the International Confederation of Midwives.
She is passionate about maternal and child health and runs her facebook blog called Marthie’s Midwifery Diary. Martha represented Cameroon Midwives in Denmark at the Normal Labour, Normal Birth Conference in September 2022 and was voted chairperson of her YML cohort.
She founded For Mom and Baby Foundation in 2021 as an active arm of her blog and as a means to support mothers and babies in the crisis-stricken zones in Cameroon.
Sumbwe is a Cameroonian Medical Laboratory Scientist and FOMAB Foundation’s Program Coordinator. She joined FOMAB Foundation because she loves serving the community and she is passionate about health especially maternal and child health.
‘FOMAB has given me this opportunity and each day, my passion is fulfilled as I serve more mothers and babies. As a Laboratory Scientist, I want to build my career around helping more women have access to safe and quality blood products at the time of need.
Working with FOMAB has taught me so many lessons like project and stakeholder management, human resource coordination and budgeting. I have learnt, I am learning and I hope to learn some more.’
Yvette Attah Bende is a licensed midwife and Midwife Educator at St Louis University Institute Douala. She heads the Midwifery Department of the aforementioned institution.
‘As a midwife, it is my desire to see that more women don’t look at the birth process as a death trap, rather it should be an experience that they remember as fulfilling. Working with FOMAB Foundation gives me that opportunity not just to educate women, but to also train other health providers on helping women have quality birthing experience as well as, ensure they have essential supplies at the time of birth.
Volunteering with FOMAB gives an inner satisfaction of me living my purpose by contributing in improving sexual and Reproductive health of women especially in conflict-affected regions.’
Henrietta is a holder of a degree in Nursing Science and a master’s degree in Nursing Education. She is an Assistant Lecturer and Head of Nursing Department at the A&H Institute of Health Management, Limbe – Cameroon
‘Working with the FOMAB foundation has not just given me more exposure to further knowledge and other life’s experiences, but has also given me an additional purpose in life. Volunteering with other young people who come together to do the little they can in contributing to the health of vulnerable persons like women and children has been so fulfilling. Impacting lives as a profession is why I am an educator and belonging to this foundation makes me impact more lives even out of the classroom.’
Mercy is a nurse by profession and presently the Chief of Center of Shalom Health Foundation, Limbe. She also practices as a part-time time lecturer at Presbyterian Nursing School, Limbe and A&H institute of health and management sciences. In 2018, she worked as a community health worker advocating for sexual and reproductive health in young girls and woman at Girls Excel, Limbe.
In 2021, she decided to join the FOMAB foundation as a volunteer advocating for maternal and child’s health because I love impacting lives. ‘Why I love the FOMAB foundation is they are targeting the whole nation through one Chanel. If we impact one woman’s life, we have created a change in the society and the world at large. Therefore, every young girl who will be a mother tomorrow needs to know how to maintain their reproductive health and the health of their future children.’
Elsie Grace Ngongang is a final year midwifery student at the Faculty of Health Sciences – University of Buea, Cameroon. She is passionate about community health projects and positively impacting the lives of mothers and babies. This is why she joined For Mom and Baby Foundation in 2022.
“I have gained skills such as project management, maternal public health, public speaking and health communication. I have so many memorable moments working with FOMAB Foundation but the best moments come whenever we have a workshop with the mothers and young ladies whereby we tend to have a one-one contact and conversation with each of them. This helps us to know them better and we can directly understand their needs. Therefore, when providing solutions, we are sure that we are meeting the need of someone. That gives me so much fulfilment.”