We develop programs and do health education activities because all indicators show a woman's health correlates with her level of education. But telling people their traditional birth methods should be changed often makes them hold tighter to those methods. The root problem underlying everything we do is the status of women. Women's issues in Africa are the hardest and most long-term problems to address. Government promises are not enough.
Sustainability is also a problem.
Many African countries have become so dependent on donor aid they have lost the ability to be self-sufficient. It's hard to be patient when you see so many needs. We're attempting to change centuries of behavior in a few generations. Trangsrud has found grassroots, community involvement to be the most effective in improving a woman's access to health care. Family Care International helps make the linkage between needs, policies and aid money.