Spotlight On: The Mama Pikin Foundation

Location: Sierra Leone

Founded by: Drs Fatu Forna Sesay and Shekou Sesay

Objective: To enhance, improve and otherwise positively contribute to the health and well-being of mothers, children, and families in Sierra Leone, West Africa.

Mama-Pikin means “mother-child” in Krio, a language widely spoken in Sierra Leone. The Mama Pikin Foundation is a non-profit organisation founded in response to the high maternal and child mortality rates in the country. It is currently operational in four districts in Sierra Leone, supporting clinics through the following interventions:

1) Providing a delivery bucket to every mother who delivers at foundation supported

clinics. Each bucket contains a plastic sheet to serve as a clean surface for delivery, a Lappa (cloth) to wrap the baby, and soap. The buckets are very successful in

decreasing maternal and neonatal infections. They incentivize women to come to

the clinics to have their babies, reducing numbers of dangerous home deliveries as a result.

2) ReimbursING motorcycle taxis bringing in labouring women to the clinic. This prevents women having to walk many miles during labor.

3) Providing nutrition support for pregnant women in birth waiting homes.

4) Supporting Community Health Officers to promote clinic deliveries, breastfeeding,

and identifying at risk pregnant women and children.

In addition to its work supporting pregnant women and new mothers, the Mama Pikin Foundation has been involved with other initiatives:

1) In 2017, the foundation assisted 115 families affected by a landslide. It supported

them with food, clothing, and relocation costs. It also purchased mattresses for

families taking shelter in a school, cooking utensils, etc.

2) During the 2014 ebola epidemic, the foundation purchased bleach, soap, gloves, and other supplies for its clinics. It also conducted training for all its health workers to manage the outbreak, as well as community sensitization and education.

To learn more about the Mama Pikin Foundation, donate, or support in any way visit them at www.mamapikinfoundation.org .