The WOtW Advisory Board is so passionate about the work of WOtW that they are matching your donation, dollar for dollar!
WOtW Advisory Board Members has already provided $6,550 in matching contributions and will match your contribution too. We'll show the matching contribution before you pay.
Well On their Way believes that no matter where in the world a pregnant woman presents to deliver her baby, she should leave that facility alive and in good health, with a healthy baby in her arms.
With your support, you can help us continue to fulfill our mission.
Well On their Way is a group of American physicians and Ugandan clinicians working in partnership to improve delivery outcomes of mothers and babies in the Gulu District of northern Uganda, a region torn apart and recovering from a 20-year war. Based on recent data from UNICEF, a newborn in Uganda is almost four times as likely to die within the first 28 days of life than a newborn in the United States.
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To ensure every Ugandan health care provider, whether a clinical officer, midwife or nurse, in even the most remote two room clinic has the equipment, skills, and knowledge to correctly identify and manage maternal and newborn emergencies, WOtW has delivered training developed by the WHO specifically for health care providers working in resource limited countries. Six evidence-based training programs have been implemented and sustained:
- Helping Babies Breathe/Essential Newborn Care 1 (providing immediate ventilation for babies born with asphyxia)
- Essential Care of Every Baby/Essential Newborn Care 2 (important care and assessment within the first 24 hours of life)
- Bleeding After Birth (management of the mother with post-partum hemorrhage)
- Essential Care for Labor and Delivery
- Pre-Eclampsia/Eclampsia (identifying, managing and appropriately referring this life-threatening illness)
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Pre-Referral Care if High Risk of Preterm Birth
(identifying mothers at risk of preterm labor, providing early
management and appropriate referral)
The US and Uganda teams train the Ugandan trainers, who in turn train over 100 local health care providers staffing 26 health centers, scattered far apart from each other in this very remote, impoverished region.
Recent data from the Ugandan Ministry of Health show that babies in Gulu District have significantly lower perinatal mortality rates than the country as a whole.
Trainings provided by the US and Uganda WOtW teams are making a difference!
New in 2025/26 - Two Exciting WOtW Programs
Village Health Team Training | Obstetric Ultrasound Training |
With the support of a grant—the first of its kind for WOtW—from the ICATCH program of the American Academy of Pediatrics, we are excited to announce the launch of a comprehensive three-year training program aimed at equipping 180 Village Health Technicians (VHTs). These invaluable community health volunteers play a pivotal role in helping mothers and infants navigate the often daunting social, financial, and logistical barriers that impede access to quality healthcare. Our mission is clear: to significantly increase the number of expectant mothers seeking both prenatal and postnatal care. Most importantly, we aim to boost the rate of mothers delivering in health facilities, all of which will be staffed by healthcare providers who have been trained by WOtW.
| Thanks to a remarkably generous donation from two anonymous benefactors, Well On their Way (WOtW) is poised to realize a long-held dream. In February 2026, we will launch an invaluable program for obstetric ultrasound training, extending this opportunity to ten dedicated midwives. This donation finances the acquistion of five portable ultrasound probes, specifically designed for use with tablets, enabling trained midwives to perform essential scans even in the most remote areas of Gulu District. This program is set to significantly enhance the early detection and management of pregnancy complications, impacting countless lives. Accompanying our efforts will be a team of highly skilled trainers, consisting of one midwife sonographer and three experienced obstetric sonographers, ensuring that the midwives receive comprehensive training and support. This donation is undeniably a game changer for WOtW! |
Let's harness this incredible momentum...
to ensure that these two exciting projects reach their full potential, all while sustaining our previous training programs. Your generous donation helps in so many ways for WOtW to:
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Expand and enhance Village Health Team training - can we train more than 180 individuals?
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Fund the travel of a specialized team dedicated to ultrasound training
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Train 20 new skilled providers in all six Helping Babies/Mothers Survive curricula in 2026
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Provide ongoing refresher trainings for over 100 midwives, nurses, and clinical officers in Gulu District
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Replace essential lifesaving medical equipment , including:
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Reusable neonatal resuscitation bags/masks
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Electronic blood pressure monitors
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Headlamps to provide emergency lighting during power outages
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Address funding gaps caused by the sudden cessation of USAID support
- Mitigate challenges resulting from the strengthening of the Ugandan shilling, which has appreciated by approximately 10% over the last six months against the US dollar
Please join us in making sure that every mother and baby in Gulu District receives appropriate care during pregnancy and at delivery giving them the best chances for a healthy start…so they are Well On their Way...and make your contribution even more powerful by sharing this via email, word of mouth, and social media.
We appreciate your one-time donation and kindly ask you to consider becoming a monthly donor.
Thank you, Asante sana, Afoyo
The Well On their Way team
The WOtW team: From left to right: Dr. Matthew Kane, Public Health Nurse Richard Nyeko Ssemujju, District Health Officer Dr. Kenneth Canna, Dr. Ann Markes, Assistant District Health Officer Anena Grace, Master Midwife Susan Apiyo, Medical Coordinator and Midwife Monica Akello, Dr. Megan Carmel, and Master Midwife Jacqueline Olanya Grace.
Highlights
See all activity24Major gifts
If you wish to make a major gift, grant or a gift of appreciated stock or other non-cash gifts, please contact Dr. Ann Markes at wotw@wellontheirway.org, annnemc@gmail.com, or call or text (413) 433-6273.
Please remember that donations to WOtW that are made from your retirement account (e.g., IRAs, 401(k)s, SEPs, etc.) will reduce, dollar-for-dollar, your taxable Required Minimum Distribution and thus your taxable income. The financial institution that maintains the retirement account will likely have more information.
