Expectant woman, Ayelech Fikadu, and her mother, Zarge Badunga sit in a “lie and wait” house at Project Mercy outside of Butajira, Ethiopia. The house was recently renovated by USAID and Pathfinder.

Butajira is located in Ethiopia’s southern highlands where many live in the mountains. Women who live in the mountains have a difficult time delivering their babies at a hospital or health center due to a lack of facilities as well as the distance from them.

Ayelech came to this “lie and wait” house because she experienced birth complications. She will deliver her baby at the nearby hospital at Project Mercy that is literally up the street from the “lie and wait” house. Without these services women who experience pregnancy complications have a greater chance of dying during childbirth and their newborns have a decreased chance of survival.

Photos: Jennifer James