By Casey Santiago, Founder and CEO of Kangu.org

As every mom can attest, motherhood changes you. For me, becoming a mother made me feel, for the first time, part of a global sisterhood. Though we may live very different lives, all the world’s moms share one of life’s most beautiful experiences – becoming and being a mother.

When I was in labor with my first son, I imagined myself surrounded by women around the world who were giving birth at the same time. We rode through the contractions together and comforted each other. At a certain point in my delivery, I hopped in a taxi and headed to the hospital where I safely delivered with the help of trained staff in a clean facility.

As I held my newborn in my arms, I kept thinking of the women around the world that labored at the same time as me. I knew that so many of them did not have access to a clean health facility and a trained professional like I did. I knew that had I been born elsewhere, I could have had as high as a 1 in 10 chance of not surviving a pregnancy.

Maternal mortality is nearly entirely preventable. We know what to do to save women’s lives. For around $250, we can offer all the prenatal and childbirth health services a woman needs to survive pregnancy, including transport to a facility, support after the birth and newborn immunizations.

And so Kangu was born. Kangu.org makes it possible for anyone with $10 or more to fund safe birth services for a specific pregnant Mama in Uganda and Nepal. Since launching the website last year, over 1,000 people have come together to fund over 250 safe births.

In celebration of Mother’s Day, you can donate to a Mama’s safe birth in honor of a mom in your life. We’ll email a Mother’s Day card with your message to your loved one, telling them of your gift and sharing a picture of the Mama you helped.

Kangu is a small organization with a big dream: that every pregnant Mama has a safe birth. Moms and dads around the world have come together online, to help hundreds of women like Regina, give birth safely and to make the world a smaller, safer, more just place.

Give the Gift of a Safe Birth This Mother’s Day!

With Mother’s Day right around the corner, it’s time to think about how best to honor mom on her special day! And, what could be better than the unique gift of helping to save a life! On behalf of Kangu, a nonprofit organization that crowdfunds safe births for pregnant women in underserviced communities, I’m reaching out to secure your support in raising awareness about preventing maternal mortality.

Why? Every day 800 women in developing countries die from pregnancy and childbirth, yet 90 percent of maternal deaths can be prevented with access to basic healthcare services.

How it works: Gift-buyers can search profiles of “Mamas” from around the world and select a pregnant women whose story speaks to them. A gift of $10 or more helps to give that Mama high-quality, low-cost healthcare services for a safe birth. Kangu emails a customized card to the gift recipient, telling them about the donation and the Mama. Ongoing updates about the Mama and her baby make this a gift that keeps on giving!