Midwives play a vital role in ensuring safety for mothers and babies. Adara’s Mentoring Our Midwives (MoM) programme is building a stronger, more skilled midwifery workforce across Uganda by training experienced midwives to become mentors in their own workplaces. Our goal is to ensure every woman receives safe, skilled and compassionate care during childbirth
Resty is one of these mentors. She has been a midwife for more than eleven years, providing care to women during pregnancy and birth. By investing in midwives like Resty – and equipping them to mentor others – MoM is strengthening maternal care systems across Uganda, saving lives now and into the future. In 2025, she joined Adara’s MoM programme — an experience she describes as an important turning point in her career.
“We were trained by Adara as mentors who also mentor other midwives to safely deliver mothers, an experience that has changed me profoundly. While it is valuable to receive formal education and gain experience in midwifery, the process of learning should be ongoing.”
A practical approach to continuous learning
Unlike traditional one-off trainings, MoM brings learning directly to the bedside through real-time simulation, practical skills sessions and on the spot coaching. This approach complements government training and strengthens everyday maternity care.‑the‑spot coaching. This approach complements government training and strengthens everyday maternity care.
Before joining MoM, Resty was already a skilled and knowledgeable midwife. But like many working in busy facilities, she had limited access to ongoing training. MoM integrated learning into her daily responsibilities and provided structured opportunities to refresh and extend her skills
“Despite possessing the necessary clinical skills and eleven years of experience in midwifery, I struggled with confidence. The Adara mentorship programme bolstered my confidence and transformed my attitude towards mothers and my fellow midwives.”
With guidance from Adara’s clinical team, Resty strengthened her emergency preparedness, improved her ability to recognise risks early and helped her gain new communication skills for working with mothers and caregivers. These changes, she says, have reshaped the way she works — improving both the technical and interpersonal aspects of the care she provides.
“My ability to prepare for emergencies and identify risks more easily has greatly improved. I now communicate effectively and professionally with mothers and their caregivers, as I have learned that the attitude of a healthcare provider is crucial in midwifery because it leaves a lasting impact on those we care for and a reputational impression on the health facility.”
Why mentorship matters for safe maternal care
Midwives play a critical role in improving maternal and newborn health outcomes. Yet the need for a stronger, more supported midwifery workforce remains significant. In Uganda:
- 80% of maternal deaths are preventable with timely, skilled care
- The midwife-to-mother ratio is 1:16, far from the recommended 1:2‑to‑mother ratio is 1:16, far from the recommended 1:2
- The Maternal Mortality Ratio remains at 189 per 100,000 live births — nearly 3 times the SDG target (70 per 100,000 live births).
Strengthening the midwifery workforce through ongoing, practical mentorship is essential. MoM helps fill this gap by ensuring midwives have the support, practice opportunities and on-the-job guidance they need to provide safe, dignified care. MoM is building a network of confident, capable midwives ready to teach, lead and deliver compassionate care.
Building stronger maternity teams through MoM
Through MoM, Adara has selected and trained 14 highly skilled midwives across Kiwoko, Nakaseke and Luwero Hospitals as on-site mentors. Equipped with high quality simulation kits, these midwives lead regular skills sessions on their wards, support colleagues during complex cases, and help create a culture of continuous learning.
Because they work in these facilities every day, they are well positioned to identify gaps quickly and respond immediately. This strengthens maternal care systems and contributes to safer outcomes for mothers and newborns.
For Resty, becoming a mentor has been one of the most meaningful parts of the programme.
“What excites me more is knowing that I am mentoring and exchanging knowledge with other midwives for the sustainability of good maternal health outcomes. I really thank Adara and hope for the continuity of the MoM programme.”
Resty’s experience demonstrates the value of practical, workplace-based mentorship in strengthening midwifery practice. It shows how continuous learning and supportive supervision can build confidence, improve skills and enhance the quality of care provided.
Hear more from Resty in the video below:
