Ruby's Fundraiser for Uhuru wa Kulea African Women's Health Center
by Ruby Gittelsohn
$1000.00
FUNDED
Campaign has ended
Supporters
This year I hope you can join me in supporting the Uhuru wa Kulea (freedom to nurture) African Women’s Health Center that the African People’s Education and Defense Fund (APEDF.org) is building in St. Louis MO.
Did you know that black women in St. Louis die in childbirth at four times the rate of white women and that black babies are 3.3 times more likely to die than white babies?
Similar conditions exist throughout this country, but studies show that the presence of a black health practitioner including a midwife or doula cuts the black infant mortality rate in half!
The Uhuru wa Kulea shows how programs for African self-reliance can uplift the health conditions for women and their babies.
This is not charity, this is the African community empowering themselves to end the disparities in every aspect of life, controlling their own access to healthcare, food, housing, education and economic self-determination.
APEDF has already purchased the land for the site of the Uhuru wa Kulea African Women’s Health Center. APEDF has kickstarted this program the Uhuru Doula Project, successfully training 14 women as doulas to support the women in this underserved black community before, during and after the baby is born.
APEDF has a track record of successfully putting African self-reliance and self-determination programs in place to transform a community long neglected by the city. Last year APEDF led a Giving Tuesday fundraiser to build a community basketball court and that program has already been completed! See photos linked below.
This year we are raising money for the building fund for Uhuru wa Kulea. I have a personal goal of $1000 to support this and with your help we can make it happen! Please donate today and share this with your friends and family!
For more info go to blackpowerblueprint.org Watch this video for more information: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ubeU3vT2T4PKZ3_qSCYFb4v_ujwyE
Each year, the number of babies that die during childbirth in St. Louis could populate 15 kindergarten classrooms. We are fighting to take back our power over our own communities and resources including the futures of our children.
We are embarking on Phase Five of the Black Power Blueprint, to create a Black-led wellness education center to empower Black women and girls in caring for our physical, mental and emotional wellness. The vision is to provide health and self-care programs that reinforce our traditional African culture, and invest in the future of our community with doula and childbirth educator certification programs along with opportunities for employment and entrepreneurship.
We have long recognized that our community has the capacity to solve our own problems through self-reliance projects driven by the needs of the community, rather than having solutions imposed on us. We create programs that empower the people from the ground up to create lasting change. The Uhuru Wa Kulea Health Center will be a much needed respite for our community. It will empower us in taking charge of our health and well-being.
The Uhuru Wa Kulea African Women's Health Center is part of the Black Power Blueprint, an initiative of the African People's Education and Defense Fund and Black Star Industries.