Submitted by: Alicia Belay, Fargo-Moorhead AM Rotary Club
Over 100 people attended the kick-off celebration on September 17 in Fargo for Global Grant 1980712, a project to help implement group prenatal care for indigenous women in five communities across the Midwest. The evening included a ‘smudge’, program, meal, poster session, and dancing & drumming by the Buffalo River Singers & Dancers. A diaper drive provided about $2000 in cash or diapers for pregnant women who will participate in the enhanced prenatal care programs at each of the sites.
After the kick-off event, health providers from each of the five sites (one each from MT, ND, SD, NE, and MN) stayed on for two more days, to learn how to implement group prenatal care in their communities. National March of Dimes staff flew into Fargo from across the USA to provide the specialized training.
Through this approximately $182,000 grant, the five sites will receive technical support from March of Dimes and the University of North Dakota Indians in Medicine Program for two years, and will receive regular visits and assistance from an indigenous liaison to the sites, who will enhance the collaboration across the project partners and work with sites to ensure sustainability of their programs.
Dane Skow displays some of the diapers that were contributed for the prenatal care programs
Dr. Bernice Dubois shares why she is excited about implementing Group Prenatal Care at Elbowoods Memorial Health Center, at Mandan Hidatsa Arikara Nation.
The Buffalo River Singers and Dancers provided colorful, lively dance, drum, and song, along with stories to describe where the dances originated.
Health Care providers and March of Dimes staff pose in front of a pile of donated diapers, during their group prenatal care training.
Thank you so much for your part in making this event possible!
*Thank you also to Sanford Health, Minnesota Department of Health, and the North Dakota Department of Health for their support of this project.