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Marthie's Midwifery DIARY, Douala (2025)

02/12/2025

To ensure I'm leading effectively, I make sure my knowledge is constantly updated and relevant.

I always say you can't use leadership skills from 2015 to lead successfully in 2025! One must evolve with the times.

On this note, I’m glad to have successfully completed the Vital Voices Visionaries Program by Vital Voices Global Partnership and Estée Lauder Emerging Leaders Fund!

I recognize that my ability to contribute meaningfully to The 'For Mom and Baby' Foundation is directly connected to my own personal (brand) growth which directly ripples to me being able to pour more energy, resources, and influence into the organization.

This program has uplifted my spirit and given me a whole village of supportive sister peers like Diana Frenchman Sabah Yaqoob Lisa Russell Daisy Hill-Norton Anna Karolina Chimiak Ankunda Recho Aline Gomez-Acebo Finat

Two of my most vital takeaways from this program are:

💡 NEVER FORGET YOUR WHY: Properly crafting and continuously revisiting my driving force.

🗺️ Action Planning: Transforming vision into executable, measurable steps.

To the VV leaders who made this program very exciting and interesting for us all Mayra Tenorio Regina Da Silva Kalli Ruffennach Eugenia Podestá THANK YOU🩷

I’m Ready to bring this renewed energy and knowledge into my leadership role. Also, I 100% recommend this program to any and everyone.

17/11/2025

1 in 10. That's how many babies worldwide are born prematurely (before 37 weeks).

Complications from preterm birth are the leading cause of death among children under five. This underscores the urgent need for better healthcare and support systems to improve survival and long-term outcomes for these tiny, fragile lives.

I am honored to be a part of the solution.

Today, November 17th is World Prematurity Day and 🗓️ TONIGHT at 6:00 PM WAT (12pm ET), I will be speaking at the Embrace Global World Prematurity Day Event.
This gathering celebrates the strength and resilience of premature newborns worldwide and shines a spotlight on the the vital work being done by their partners, including For Mom and Baby Foundation.

Join us to learn more about how we are helping these vulnerable infants not just survive, but thrive.

Register here: https://lnkd.in/eJN8ftbA

10/11/2025

In early 2024, I founded a Midwifery mentorship program to directly address the urgent global deficit of over one million midwives with a twofold goal:

1- To ensure more moms and babies have access to quality healthcare from competent professionals.

2- To empower midwives to have more fulfilling and satisfying careers thereby curbing the drop-out rate from the profession.

Two weeks ago, we graduated the 5th cohort! This brings my direct mentorship impact to 57 Midwives across 12 countries—a very humbling number.

The program has grown into a powerful community of like-minded professionals, and my role as a mentor has been my greatest teacher.

Our Mentor-Mentee relationships are reciprocal; we share and learn equally.
It has been the most incredible honor of my life walking alongside these brilliant midwives, guiding them on what they can do next & better.

Thank you to feri anita wijayanti for delivering an inspiring keynote. And to every other Midwife who contributed to this cohort’s growth Faustina Boamah Anitah Kusaasira Bartholomew Kamlewe Tekla SN Shiindi-Mbidi, PhD

Congratulations to the phenomenal Cohort 5!

03/11/2025

I saw two of my staff off at the airport yesterday, and honestly, I probably am the happiest founder alive today!

They are off to represent The 'For Mom and Baby' Foundation at the Good Grant Practice workshop organized by African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC).

In February this year, I had to travel to Rwanda for a conference but I felt strongly in my spirit -that opportunity wasn’t for me, it was for Mbah Larissa, (our programs officer) and so we quickly prepared her for the trip in my place.

She went, and during that conference, she randomly connected with someone who told her about APHRC, and she's been a force in pursuing their programs ever since. Her diligence (along with her colleague's) has led to this incredible opportunity! Of not just one but 2 staff including herself traveling.

What a time to be alive! ~ What an honor to see this foundation I started from a simple place of passion become a place/springboard where people- my staff can significantly grow. Watching them catch flights and succeed is my greatest delight!

As founders and leaders, it's easy to feel entitled to take every travel or learning opportunity ourselves. But I hope this post reminds you to let your team grow!
Will they leave someday? Of course. I encourage it! But for now, their growth is the main mission.
Don't hold them back. You'll be amazed at the incredible things they'll bring back.

Congratulations Ngwashi Charlotte & Mbah Larissa 👏🩷.. I am proud of you both.

30/10/2025

Let's play a game—a "smile if you've been there" edition:

😊 Smile if you’ve spoken to a ton of people at a conference but walked away without maintaining even one strong connection😅.

😊 Smile if you’ve been ghosted by someone you thought you had a great conversation with, only to get zero email responses after the event😅.

😊 Smile if you’ve printed a hundred business cards, handed out every single one, and haven't been reached out to by anyone—even months later😅.

If you’re guilty or have experienced one of the above, then keep reading...

I attended a webinar on "How to Prepare for a Conference" organized by Connective Impact & Echoing Green yesterday, and safe to say it was timely, practical, and incredibly handy!

You see, especially for those of us in the impact space, we often attend conferences with wild dreams of meeting funders who might give us money almost immediately. I used to think that's how it worked, until I realized ~ You must build a relationship. A genuine one.

Some key takeaways that are critical, especially in this unfriendly funding landscape:

📌Your Mantra: When talking about your work, remember to keep it simple and keep it comfortable.

📌 Pause: Take breaks when speaking to intentionally create room for the other person to talk and respond.

📌Follow-Up Strategy: Don't be afraid to reach out! The recommended follow-up cadence is important:

✔️Send a first email the week after the conference.

✔️Follow up again after 1 week.

✔️Then, follow up every 2 weeks for 6 weeks.

✔️If you still don't get a response, wait another 2 weeks and send one last email with a new subject line like "Trying one last time."

✔️If there's still no response, move on from that specific contact, but stay engaged with the ecosystem.

Ciro Muiruri shared her story of following up with one funder for a good 18 months. When they finally responded, they became one of her top funders. Persistence pays!

You're doing incredible work, so keep at it and make those bold strategic moves.

Thank you Shelly Helgeson Stephanie Heckman Michio Agresta Esmeralda Herrera Francisco Cuesta

27/10/2025

When a career is called a waste of time, you don't quit. You simply raise the global stage it's on.

I was told my ambition was too big for a career in Midwifery.

But the thing about passion is, it doesn’t wait for permission or validation. Instead, it finds new rooms, new stages, and new ways to be recognized.

These are some of the rare opportunities and high-level recognitions I've received as a Midwife—to inspire anyone who’s been told they’re heading down the wrong road:

🏆Gates Foundation Global Goalkeeper Changemaker Awardee
🎖️ Echoing Green Fellow
🏅 International Confederation of Midwives Young Midwife Leader
🎖️ D-Prize Fellow/Awardee
🎙️ ChangeNOW Woman for Change
🎖️ Vital Voices Global Partnership Visionary Fellow
🏅 The Bloom Social Impact 30 Under 30

...and much more that's fueling the work!

If your vision is clear but your current environment is draining, know you're not wasting your time.
Don't let someone else's ceiling become your floor. Change rooms!

The world needs what you have to offer—especially from professions like mine. Midwives belong in the rooms where global change happens.

(If the room doesn't exist yet? Build your own -I had to build my own.)

20/10/2025

One million more midwives globally could prevent 67% of maternal deaths, 64% of newborn deaths, and 65% of stillbirths.

📸These are photos from 2020.

I remember feeling a real fire in my belly as a student midwife. I noticed how midwives often felt like the "quiet" part of campus, while medical students and other departments organized big, visible conferences and campaigns.

It honestly felt like we were the outcasts, and that sense of an important profession being unseen really bothered me.

I decided to challenge it.

I started talking to classmates and seniors, sharing my frustration, and saying, "We can change this! We can organize bigger things!"

That spark caught on, and the very next year, I was voted Vice President, and then the next, President, of the University of Buea Midwifery Students Association.
We didn't just fight to be known; we built structures where everyone felt involved, doing extraordinary things like bringing established midwives to inspire us and organizing massive seminars.
It was defining for me—I saw how my passion ignited a movement and drove positive change.

I'm still in that business today: bringing midwives together to champion the health of mothers and babies.

The world urgently needs that same fire, because the statistics don't lie: one million more midwives could prevent a staggering 67% of maternal deaths, 64% of newborn deaths, and 65% of stillbirths. That's not an ordinary impact; that's life-changing.

So, if you're a Midwife reading this, don't conform to the standards you see around you. Challenge them.
The International Confederation of Midwives (ICM) has just launched a crucial petition for a million more midwives, and this is our chance to show that we are anything but ordinary.

Add your name to the campaign and join the movement for moms and babies! Click the link and sign: https://lnkd.in/e52nj63X

15/10/2025

This is how I handle rejection emails…

Because I’m very transparent about my wins & success stories, people often assume I don't face rejection—shocker, I do! 😅.. I mean, who doesn’t!?😂
Here's exactly what I do when one of those "unfortunately, we are not able to move forward with you" emails lands in my inbox...

1- First things first, I physically step outside and take a deep breath. My head needs to be cool before I can even begin to process the shock! Hahahaha.

2- In that initial moment, it feels like my head is spinning. I take a few minutes just to process the disappointment and allow my brain to come back down to earth.

3- I revisit the email after some time and let myself get as mad as possible. Not mad at myself, though. I genuinely believe in the work my team and I do, and I just wish every funder/potential partner would see what I see! (I know they all will, with time. 😉)

4- Once the mad is out, I calm down and sometimes take myself out for a chill session. Then, it's straight back to the drawing board: look for the next best opportunity, apply, and life goes on!

5- I immediately use this experience and my previous wins as fuel for the next application. My team knows the drill: "Okay, we didn’t get it... so! On to the next! We move!!" Hahahaha.

I honestly wish more funders would implement systematic, perhaps AI-driven, methods to offer even a little in depth feedback to accompany rejection emails. I understand they probably get thousands of applications but this will help applicants adjust & grow faster. Feedback is important.

Bottom line is - Prioritize your wins over your failures. There are so many good things happening in your life and work that you sometimes can’t see them because the negatives are all you focus on. Don't let a rejection email block your view of the massive impact you're already making.

13/10/2025

I had just landed in Nairobi, Kenya, for a very intense program when I realized the deadline for the yearly Dovetail Acceleration Portfolio by the Dovetail Impact Foundation was fast approaching!

I'd been looking forward to applying after seeing the inspiring work Nafisa Jiddawi of WAJAMAMA Community Health had been doing as one of their partners. Being out of the country for another commitment definitely wasn't the most convenient time for me to apply, but I did it anyway.

It was literally the first thing I sat down to do after arriving in Nairobi. With the clock ticking and the deadline looming, I needed to act fast. My team was on standby & assisted in sending over necessary information/documents from the office!

I finally hit submit around 3:23 AM (see the second slide for proof! 😅), grabbing only about two hours of sleep before diving straight into the program I was in Kenya for.

Fast forward to a month and a few weeks ago, we received the fantastic news: we were selected for the program after Round 2! Even better, I have the opportunity to bring one of my core team members along—our Programs Officer, Mbah Larissa, is on this journey with me! 🎉

I’m sharing this to say: it won't always be the most convenient time for you to apply for opportunities.

Application fatigue is real (a term I happily learned from my dear friend and "Dove sis" Aisha Abdullahi Bubah of The Sunshine Series- Mind wellness 😂), but you'll feel even worse when you miss the chance entirely, or see that others got it while you, who were perhaps more competent, were still sitting back.

Wake up and do what needs to be done.

I carry the mindset that my work is bigger than me. So, I'm doing it for the many other people it benefits.

Thankful to be part of the Dovetail family now and looking forward to a great learning and impactful journey!

10/10/2025

I made a post some months back sharing that ‘I’m being mentored’.
I had just started my formal Echoing Green paired mentorship, and it’s only right that I come back to say we’ve come to an end—and that Echoing Green gave me the best mentor ever Muzalema Mwanza!🥰

Founder to Founder, Muzalema poured into me without holding anything back. Our sessions were deep, unfiltered, and exposing every unhealthy founder ego in me. I was humbled! 😂 I felt so free sharing my uncertainties and wins with her, and in return, she equipped me with invaluable skills:

✔️ How to think strategically
✔️ How to map out stakeholders effectively
✔️ How to build a data room and pitch excellently

Muzalema is one of those rare people I know will mention my name in rooms I’m not present in- she believes in me. For someone like me, who is always giving out and mentoring others, it was such a vibe and a lovely experience to sit back and be the mentee😎.

Even though our formal sessions ended a week ago, I'm still feeling the powerful, positive vibrations of everything she's left me with.
Glad to still have access to her wisdom and support any day, any time! 😍

08/10/2025

I'm honored to be part of the 11th cohort of Emerging Leaders by Vital Voices Global Partnership Visionaries Program, supported by the Estée Lauder Emerging Leaders Fund (ELELF)!

This program brings together 50 women globally and is built on the proven leadership model of Vital Voices, incorporating lessons from Estée Lauder executives and Vital Voices Global Network leaders. I'll be joining a community of over 20,000 changemakers in 185 countries!

Vital Voices was founded by former First Lady of the United States Hillary Clinton, Former U.S. Secretary of State - Madeleine Albright, and the organization's current CEO, Alyse Nelson following the United Nations 4th World Conference on Women to globally promote women's empowerment.

I see this as a powerful opportunity not only to learn and build partnerships, but also to represent For Mom and Baby Foundation on a global platform.
My goal is to amplify the voices of mothers and children, drive systemic change in healthcare access and quality, and ensure safer births and healthier futures for every family, all while bringing invaluable on-the-ground knowledge to the table for connecting global insights with local action.
Thank you Awele Okigbo for holding my hands on this before and now that I’m officially your VV sister😄..

I'm grateful to be on this journey and excited to do my part in creating a more equitable and compassionate world!

06/10/2025

I met Delphine Konda, founder Girls Excel in person a year ago at the 2024 Echoing Green (EG) Convening in Ghana!
She was the first EG Fellow selected from Cameroon, and I’m the most recent, with Mbah Atim Patience right in the middle.

When Delphine let me know she was in the country months back, I immediately invited her to join our in-person team capacity-building session. Knowing her expertise in scholarship applications and leveraging opportunities, I asked her to do one thing: teach our staff and volunteers how to recognize and pursue these pathways. She did absolute justice to that!

One of the greatest gifts Echoing Green gives is family in the social entrepreneurship space. The professional credibility of the Echoing Green Fellowship cannot be overstated. When I connect with another Fellow(or just anyone & I mention I’m an EG fellow), there's an immediate mutual trust that translates directly into the response: 'Yes, let's work together!

I'm incredibly thankful for Delphine. To everyone who has already applied for the EG Fellowship, you made the right choice. And for those still thinking about it, you have just 2 more days to apply!

Apply here: https://echoinggreen.org/fellowship/apply/

Thankful for the family that is Echoing Green.

Marthie's Midwifery DIARY

02/12/2025

17/11/2025

10/11/2025

03/11/2025

30/10/2025

27/10/2025

20/10/2025

15/10/2025

13/10/2025

10/10/2025

08/10/2025

06/10/2025

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