Fasting in the month of Ramadan is beyond abstaining from eating and a whole lot of other activities. It is about resolving to take actions to help people in need, just like MamaYe encourages us to take actions that will save the lives of pregnant mothers and newborns.
Fasting involves being utterly generous, more than ever, during the fasting period, and learning to remain so afterwards. This can be likened to generously, without remuneration, donating blood to pregnant women in labour, as severe loss of blood has been identified as the highest cause of maternal mortality.
Spreading the right information during the period and even after is similar to letting our policy makers know about our health needs and rights, or letting pregnant women know that attending antenal care and having their babies delivered by skilled birth attendants is the safest. So, as we celebrate Eid-ul-Fitri with the Muslims, these are the lessons we can learn as we continue working to increase the survival chances of mothers and newborns.
Happy eid-ul-fitri from MamaYe!