Jara's Story

In the Kunar province of Afghanistan, WHI is training urgently needed female nurses and midwifery students. Nineteen-year-old Jara is one of these students. She would like to become a midwife and is currently in her second semester of studies. During her holidays, she was able to help a woman in her neighbourhood who was having difficulty during childbirth. 

The pregnant woman's husband had called her for help during the night. She recognized that the woman needed immediate professional help as quickly as possible, but she also knew that she herself did not have adequate training to handle the birth on her own. After a long discussion, she was able to convince the husband to bring his wife to the nearest health centre. The only means of transport was a donkey. Jara accompanied her neighbour to the centre and helped as best she could. At the centre, the young mother gave birth to a healthy boy.  

Jara says: "I hope that I can successfully complete my studies, so that I can help the families in Kunar who are often without hope due to the tense situation, and that I can help them during pregnancies and childbirths."