How Australians are helping to save the lives of mothers and children

Pregnant women carry bottles of water to their nearest health clinic to give birth because of a lack of clean water facilities. It is a heartbreaking story that inspired ChildFund supporter Maureen and her family to build wells in some of Cambodia’s most remote communities.

“It really took hold of me,” Maureen says. “I was thinking, how on earth can women give birth safely and then look after their children if there’s not even any running water in the health clinic? That really sparked my interest in getting clean water into those communities.

“Access to clean water can improve maternal mortality rates. It has a huge impact; children could be left motherless.”

Maternal and child health has always been a topic close to Maureen’s heart. As the oldest of nine children Maureen saw first-hand the challenges her own mother experienced.

“Every time my mother was pregnant and gave birth, she had to look after her growing family,” Maureen says. “There was always an issue for her around having enough resources to do that.

“But there are women in some countries that don’t even have access to enough clean water.”

A cause worth supporting well

In late 2017, Maureen and her cousin Cathy donated a motorcycle to ChildFund to help deliver essential items to remote communities in Cambodia. Cathy and Maureen’s sister-in-law Melinda travelled to the country to see ChildFund’s work in action, returning home with stories about the dire challenges that mothers and children face in accessing basic healthcare.