Planning to grab a deal on a new phone this #BlackFriday?

Well, we aren’t the only ones obsessed with upgrading our gadgets. In Africa, mobile phones are not just a cool toy, but a valuable lifeline.

Many Community Health Volunteers rely on their mobile phones to record basic health information and make referrals, as well as keep them up to date on training techniques. Mobile phones improve access to quality maternal health services, so women in rural communities can safely give birth to healthy, happy babies.

Makueni is one of most remote counties in Kenya, with 67% of the population living below the poverty line. In places like Makueni, women and children are hugely affected by inadequate health services and rely on Community Health Volunteers to provide basic support, medicine and treatment.

Amref Health Africa has been working in Makueni since 2012, improving maternal health services and helping prevent childhood disease and malnutrition. So far, our Mama na Mtoto wa Afrika project has reached nearly 30,000 women and over 25,000 children under the age of five.

This #givingtuesday, we are asking you to help upgrade healthcare in Africa by donating £5 to buy a simcard for a Community Health Worker in Africa. A simcard may sound like a small gift, but it can make all the difference.

Help save the lives of mothers and babies across sub-Saharan Africa by keeping Community Health Volunteers connected. Donate your £5, here: www.amrefuk.org/donate.

To find out more about the role of Community Health Volunteers in Makueni, click here now.