In August 2013, Drs Beddoe and Dottino visited the Mpumalanga province of South Africa with the hope of bringing a medical team to assist in obstetrical and gynecologic care. They were able to form a collaboration with Hlokomela, a clinic aiming to support and empower farming communities to take responsibility for health, social, and educational aspects of their lives.
Later, TheWomen.Org supported an OBGYN who's initiative was twofold - incorporate a cervical cancer prevention program into an already existing HIV treatment program and start a community based project to assess and address reproductive health care needs of female sex workers in the region. She was able to accomplish these projects through training of local health care providers, education of community members, and collaboration to create sustainable and impactful interventions with a sense of community ownership.
Visit the blog to read more about this project!