Q: How is the Safer Birth in Chad Foundation run?
A: The charity is operated by a small committee who all give their time voluntarily, holding regular open meetings.

Chadian women collecting firewood

Q: How is the charity funded?
A: The charity is funded solely from donations from members of the public and institutions (for example schools and churches). At present, we receive no government or grant funding.

Q: How will I know whether my donation has been received and what the money has been spent on?
A: All donations are gratefully acknowledged by email. We publish details of what money has been spent where on our website - and update this regularly.

Q: What is the decision making process as to how the money donated is spent?
A: The committee of the charity meets three times a year to discuss and decide how the donated money is to be spent. Our aim is to split our donations between short-term emergency needs: drugs and basic obstetric equipment and also longer term, more sustainable aims such as better training for Chadian midwives. We respond to requests from our medical contacts in Chad as to what is most urgently needed

Q: How do you know that the people who need the supplies most are getting them?
A: We have a contact in Chad who is both a French speaker and trained midwife with extensive experience of charitable work. She acts as an auditor on our behalf to ensure that supplies sent out to Chad are kept safely and securely and are distributed free of charge to those patients which need them most.

Q: What are the main factors involved in safe childbirth?
A: There are three main factors: Having a skilled attendant with the mother who can diagnose likely problems; Being able to reach good emergency care if complications arise; That care, whether drugs or surgery, being available free of charge to those without funds.

Q: What other charities or international organisations are working in this area in Chad?
A: Safer Birth in Chad is one of only a very few registered charities working specifically on the problem of maternal mortality in Chad. Many of the larger international organisations - including Medicins Sans Frontieres (www.msf.org) are currently providing aid to the Darfur refugee crisis on the border of Chad and the Sudan.