Aid in Action

Muhammad Usaidi: USAID’S Namesake is a Healthy Baby Boy

Through the revitalization of village birthing facilities in Aceh Province, USAID is helping to ensure the safety of mothers and infants.

Banda Aceh | Tuesday, April 25, 2006

Early in the morning, 23-year-old Dharma felt her first labor contractions.  She left her house in Lam Gaboh Village and walked down a shady path to her local Polindes, a birthing facility where Bidan Ratna, the village midwife, lives and works.  It took her only minutes to reach her destination. She stayed with Bidan Ratna all morning, and five hours later Dharma gave birth in February 1, 2006 to a healthy baby boy, Muhammad Usaidi.

Until recently, reaching a midwife or birthing facility would not have been easy for Dharma. Two months ago, there was no functioning Polindes in Lam Gaboh Village. The building was in such disrepair, it could not be used and the Polindes was closed. Unfortunately, this is not uncommon in Indonesia; thousands of women lack access to basic health care and childbirth services, especially in rural areas.  As a result, women must find transportation and travel long distances for birth assistance. Otherwise, they give birth at home without any skilled attendant present. This leaves many women and infants more vulnerable to serious injury or death that could otherwise be prevented.

To ensure that pregnant women have access to skilled attendants during labor and delivery, USAID is working to revitalize Polindes facilities in partner communities. To bring these facilities to national standards, USAID performs full renovations of the buildings and procures needed furniture and medical equipment.  Midwives reside in living quarters at the Polindes with their families, making them available at all times for women in need of immediate care.  

Thanks to the newly renovated Polindes in Lam Gaboh Village, Dharma had the immediate support of Bidan Ratna during labor and delivery. In honor of the work USAID has done, Dharma named her son Muhammad Usaidi.  “I wanted to give him a name based on his place of birth, and to show my appreciation for USAID’s assistance,” she says. Dharma likes that the Polindes is close to her home, and looks forward to visiting Bidan Ratna in the coming months for routine check-ups. 

Muhammad Usaidi, now three weeks old and healthy, is just one example of the thousands of infants who have a better chance of survival when delivered with the assistance of a midwife. Dharma looks forward to Muhammad Usaidi’s future: “Of course, I want the best for him,” she says. “I hope that he will grow up to be smart, clever, religious, and kind. I want him to have a great life.”  Fortunately, little Muhammad Usaidi is off to a great start.