Proper antenatal and postnatal care in Ghana is a challenge.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Ghana's maternal mortality rate is high. Neonatal and maternal mortality rates in this West African country range from 308 to 100,000 live births, compared to a standard birth rate of 700,000 to 100,000.
Poor access to health services and a lack of skilled midwives contribute to high maternal mortality rates.
Isabella Jenny ’25 wants to help change that.
“Everyone with a uterus has the right to appropriate medical care and health education, especially regarding prenatal and postnatal care,” Jenny said.
Jenny, who is majoring in biology and minoring in global and popular music and psychology, will be visiting Egyam this summer to focus on maternal health care in the region.
She is the latest Union student to receive the Kathryn Wasserman Davis Peace Project Award. Her project “Maternal Health and Resources'' is one of her 129 projects selected from 94 partner institutions.
Now in its 17th year, the Davis competition is an invitation to undergraduate students to design a grassroots project to be carried out over the summer. The aim is to encourage and support students to create and experiment with ideas for building peace. Each project will receive her $10,000 grant.
Jenny's choice to focus on maternal health care aligns with her goal of becoming a certified nurse midwife. She will be teaching classes on prenatal and postnatal care, malaria prevention and family planning for seven weeks this summer. She teaches through family visits in local clinics, schools for young women, and home and community centers. She also wants to purchase necessary hospital equipment for the obstetrics department of the local clinic.
“We hope that by offering these classes and resources, the community can gain important background knowledge,” Jenny said. “I also want to bring this information to the young women of Egyam. I look forward to sharing these resources with the community and learning from everyone I meet during my stay.”
Jenny is the third Union student to complete a project in Ghana in the past six years, joining Emanuela Oppong ’19 and Crystal Flax ’22.
“Isabella’s project is exciting because it builds on her previous Davis project at the Stitching Talent College in Ghana and will allow her to do something new that is directly related to her passion.” said Lynn Evans, Director of Doctor Pathways.
Since its founding in 2007, Projects for Peace has funded more than 2,200 projects. Projects are nominated by partner universities.
The Peace Project was founded by Kathryn W. Davis, who celebrated her 100th birthday by supporting 100 Peace Projects aimed at “bringing a mindset of preparing for peace, not preparing for war.” .
Visit our website to learn more about this year's projects.
Isabella Jenny '25
home town: Malvern, Pennsylvania
Selection subjects: biology
Minors: World and Popular Music, Psychology
Union activities: Supplementary guidance chief mentor. Student researcher in ecology. Vice-chairman of the a cappella group Eliphalettes. Treasurer of the Pre-Health Association.Clem Fellow