“I had a midwife sister so I went with her to her service and I immediately had a great deal of esteem for this profession.

I was assigned at the start of my career in a center 90 km from Bamako, the roads being difficult, it took 5 hours to travel. I no longer came to Bamako. I was with my husband. I was able to practice my profession despite the difficult conditions and the lack of equipment. When you have a vocation, you look for all the means and solutions to do it as well as possible.

Before, we were required to serve 3 years in remote areas, which is no longer the case today. But with the new SWEDD project (Women’s Empowerment and Demographic Dividend in the Sahel), the question arises of retaining young midwives in remote areas. We need to be able to grant them scholarships to strengthen their skills and, above all, not to forget them. They need emergency accommodation to stay. The state must invest. The ministry’s human resources department is ready to support the project.

The mentoring system does not exist in Mali, but it is essential for strengthening the skills of young midwives in the field.

As midwives we experience wonderful and painful stories every day.”

©Sophie Garcia / UNICEF