Our Eyes Beyond FAME

When Maria left FAME Hospital, she carried something she had spent years hoping for: her first baby.

Maria lives about 25 miles from FAME, in a community far beyond the hospital’s gates. During her fifth pregnancy, she was connected with FAME through Magdalena, a Traditional Birth Attendant (TBA) who had been trained through FAME’s maternal health program.

For Maria, that connection became a lifeline.

During her care at FAME, doctors identified a blood-type incompatibility that could have placed her pregnancy at risk. She received the necessary treatment and was closely monitored throughout her pregnancy.

After her baby was born, Maria developed an infection and needed additional care. She and her newborn remained at FAME for 14 days while she recovered and her baby was monitored. Throughout her care, FAME’s social work team worked with Maria to help ensure she could access the care she needed.

And finally, Maria went home with her baby.

Her journey to that moment began not at FAME, but in her own community.

Bringing care beyond the hospital walls

FAME serves a catchment area stretching more than 80 miles and reaching more than three million people. We cannot be everywhere at once.

That is why FAME works closely with Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs) and other community partners who help bring maternal health education and early identification of pregnancy complications closer to home.

“For years, we have worked closely with Traditional Birth Attendants. Today, 44 TBAs are part of our program, helping us take maternal health education deeper into the communities we serve. They identify and refer high-risk pregnancies, support mothers with nutrition, and follow up with mothers and newborns in their homes. They are very important to us—they are our eyes beyond where we can see and an essential part of advancing patient-centered care.”
— Prosper, FAME Program Manager

Selected and approved by local authorities, FAME’s TBAs receive regular education and hands-on training. They learn to recognize warning signs during pregnancy, encourage good nutrition, identify pregnancies that may require additional care and, critically, know when a mother should be referred to a health facility for skilled care.

They also follow up with mothers and newborns in their communities after they return home.

Maria’s story is a reminder that a hospital can only do so much on its own.

Sometimes, the most important step in a mother’s journey happens miles away, when someone in her community recognizes that she needs help and knows where to send her.

For Maria, that connection brought her to FAME, where she received the care she and her baby needed.

And after years of waiting, she finally left the hospital with her firstborn in her arms.

Her story began in her community. It continued at FAME. And it was made possible by a network of people committed to making sure that distance or circumstance does not stand between a mother and the care she needs.