Last week I wrote a piece for Impatient Optimists, Documentary Captures the Lives of Midwives in Southern Ethiopia, in which I shared the work of Italian  photographer Paolo Patruno. Patruno works with NGOs to document births across sub-Saharan Africa in order to highlight the current state of maternal health on the continent. Thus far he has worked in Ethiopia, Malawi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Uganda.

Now Patruno has launched a brand-new site to share his project called Birth is a Dream (www.birthisadream.org). There you can see all of his photos from labor wards in Africa as well as his short documentaries. If you’re heading to the site be sure to see his photography. His work is amazing and shows a rare glimpse of childbirth for African women.

birthisadream.org

Monday Reads

I wrote a few posts for my Babble column about how to give without breaking the bank.

• 5 Ways to Give Without Breaking the Bank
• Download U2’s New Song and $1 Will Go to Fight AIDS

Africa

• UN Seeks $2 Billion in International Aid for Africa’s Sahel Region
• 75 dead in clashes in Central African Republic town, priest says

Asia

• Targeting women: Banks give special products to woo female borrowers
• Philippines: Children In Typhoon-Hit Areas Get Nutritional Support