Guest Blog: weeSpring and Kangu
When I was pregnant with my first child, I, like so many expectant moms, felt a mix of excitement, anxiety and anticipation. I was comforted though by the knowledge that whatever happened, I would have skilled professionals by my side. I knew that with all likelihood my baby and I would be okay.
Something I could not shake during my pregnancy was the idea that had I been born somewhere else in the world – in a remote region of a developing country, for example, I could have had as high as a 1 in 10 chance of not surviving childbirth.
As striking as this statistic is, an amazing opportunity exists right now for us to change it. While more than a quarter of a million women die maternal deaths each year, they are largely preventable. We know why women die in childbirth and we know how to prevent up to 90% of these deaths.
And so Kangu was born. Kangu is a crowdfunding website for safe births. Our team has identified and vetted maternity hospitals and clinics, like Teso Safe Motherhood Project and Bwindi Community Hospital in Uganda, and Nyaya Health in Nepal, who are saving women’s lives every day – for around $200 per woman. This includes prenatal care, safe childbirth services, even post-partum and neonatal support. On www.kangu.org, anyone anywhere can search profiles of specific pregnant women, contribute $10 or more towards their safe birth services, and receive updates on the expectant moms and their baby.
There’s a quote that I love, by Osho, who said, “Whenever a child is born, a mother is also born.” Becoming a mother has changed me in a million ways. One of those ways is that I feel part of a global community of parents. Whether it’s Dinah who is so proud of her children, or Catherine who wants her children only to have the best in life, these are universal dreams that we can all relate to.
We are thrilled that weeSpring is supporting Kangu and the hugely important issue of preventable maternal mortality. We love how weeSpring harnesses technology and social networks for expectant and new parents. We are inspired by how they have created a space for parents to come together, to share, connect and learn from each other. And we hope you join them and us in supporting safe births for women in need around the world!
Casey Santiago is the founder of Kangu. Kangu was born from a mom’s mission to ensure that all women, regardless of where they are born or how much money they earn, survive their pregnancy and childbirth. She teamed up with Tricia Morente, Jenny Boyd, Amanda L’Esperance and Sarah Samarasinghe, exceptional professionals in global health, technology and marketing, to create Kangu.
