The benificiary for Agency in 2012 is Health Alliance International (HAI), a center in the University of Washington’s Department of Global Health.

HAI’s Mobile Moms project is a USAID-funded venture that provides cell phone access to pregnant mothers in remote rural areas of Timor-Leste, a small island country near Australia.

The challenge: Timor-Leste has some of the highest maternal mortality rates in the Southeast Asia region, with one of the main causes of death being lack of access to proper care before, during and after pregnancy. Traditional practices that favor home delivery and a lack of appreciation of the benefit of using a skilled birth attendant often result in tragic consequences.  Additionally, long travel times to reach health facilities and limited transportation options converge to put pregnant women and their newborns at risk.

How HAI is addressing the challenge: Health Alliance International aims to increase community awareness by equipping pregnant women with mobile phones and weekly text messages which will connect women with skilled-birth attendants and educational health messages. Messages will reinforce the importance of seeking skilled care throughout pregnancy and at the time of delivery. The goal of the program is to improve the health of pregnant women.  It is expected that with easy access to quality health information, women will be more aware of their health needs and services available to assist them to have a healthy pregnancy and delivery.

What Agency will do: Agency will provide funds to cover 2,000 moms receiving mobile phones and text messages through Mobile Moms.

Check out our video of 2011’s purpose