Telling the ECSA Story

  Asho at Yubbe MCH posing for a picture. Photo: Khadar Abdulahi Nur © CARE  Asho Mohamed Yusuf is one of the leaders of the Mother-to-Mother Support Groups at Yubbe Health facility in Yubbe village. The village has a population of more than 2,000 people, and the community relies on pastoral activities to make a living. As a mother of eight children, Asho’s day starts very early. She must complete household chores and care for her children before mobilizing mothers to attend the health facility. The first thing that Asho does as soon as she arrives at the health facility is plan the day ahead, whilst keeping in mind that she must engage the women to make the right choices regarding breastfeeding. “Changing people's minds results in people changing their behavior. This is something difficult but possible, as I was adequately trained on how to do it,” says Asho with confidence.  Asho and her team were coached by CARE with support from USAID on topi...

A refugee who recently arrived in Adre, Ouaddai province, interviews conducted by CARE staff and meetings with community leaders. CARE N'Djamena, Chad 25 May 2023 - With the conflict in Sudan in its fifth week, CARE is deeply concerned about the impact the violence has had on hundreds of thousands of Sudanese people, especially women, and children, forced to flee their homes amid the violence. This includes over 90,000 refugees , who according to UNHCR and the Government of Chad, have fled to Chad to save their lives. Dr. Amadou Bocoum, CARE Chad Country Director said: “Alongside our partners, we have noted that 90% of the refugees crossing over daily are women and children. By the time they arrive, they have endured extreme hardship not only from their journey but also from the situation they left at home. Many arrive hungry, thirsty, and in need of immediate medical attention and other basic necessities. We are working alongside other humanitarian actors to support those c...

With over 600 people dead, 5,100 injured, approximately 730,000 displaced, and few health centers operational, the dire situation in Sudan is getting worse, with growing health and hunger concerns. The conflict threatens the planting season which is set to begin at the end of May. If the season is missed, the number of people going hungry —at 11 million or 25 percent of the population prior to the current crisis—will increase. Before the conflict, one out of four people in Sudan was going to bed hungry. This additional (and imminent) threat to Sudan’s food system will impact women the most, a reality underscored by a recent analysis by CARE Sudan that found gender imbalances in the country’s existing hunger crises. David Macdonald, CARE Sudan Country Director, said, “With the ongoing crisis, women are eating less. Before the current crisis, 42% of households headed by women had less food compared to 31% of male-headed households. Women are key in the food production chain and with...

  Some of the refugees who have recently arrived in Adre, Ouaddai province, with the CARE staff and meetings with community leaders. CARE Statement from Kate Maina-Vorley, CARE Regional Director for Eastern and Central Africa, on the ongoing conflict in Sudan:  “The current ceasefire comes as a welcome reprieve for Sudanese citizens, and we urge all parties in this tragic conflict to maintain a much-needed peace. CARE teams in Chad are already working closely with our partners to respond to the incoming Sudanese refugees, the majority of whom are women and children. In Sudan, we have relocated our staff to safe places, and thankfully all are safe and accounted for. We remain committed to supporting Sudan at this terrible time, and with a severe increase in cases of violence against women, alongside access to reproductive healthcare being severely compromised, we are working alongside our humanitarian partners to support access to midwives and psychosocial support to Sudan...

Dr Mike, Rebecca and her Son during a routine Checkup at Pariang Hospital. South Sudan has one of the weakest health systems globally, especially in terms of access to sexual and reproductive health services. Maternal and neonatal health services remain a challenge for many women, with around 70% of the population living at least five kilometers from health facilities. The country has the highest maternal mortality rates of 789 per 100,000 live births, and neonatal and under-five mortality rates of 39.3 and 99.2, per 1000 live births respectively . When 37-year-old Rebecca Nyayuol arrived at Pariang hospital in February 2021 she was filled with anxiety. She was three months pregnant, and although she looked healthy, Rebecca had already gone through the traumatic experience of miscarriage not once, but five times. “ Before coming to Pariang Hospital, I had lost five pregnancies at five months. During my fifth pregnancy, I used to feel pain in the back before losing the baby. I fel...