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| Vida Bags |
The New Year is fast approaching, days will be getting longer and as we review the past year our thoughts are turning to new beginnings and the birth of the New Year.
In 2010, we strengthened our partnership with CARE. And the more we learn about CARE's key program areas, the more we support their efforts to address some of the most basic problems ... like Maternal Health.
Here are some facts:
- Every minute a woman dies during pregnancy and childbirth.
- 99 percent of these deaths occur in the developing world and 80 percent are preventable.
- Maternal mortality rates have not improved for 20 years.
- Over half a million women die each year, 400 in the US alone, leaving more than a million children motherless and vulnerable.
- Pregnancy and childbirth are the leading cause of death and disability for women in developing countries.
And we are so inspired by the action Katherine Schwarzenegger has taken to support CARE and the White Ribbon Alliance in addressing this issue:
After attending a meeting between her mother, Maria Shriver and activist, Sarah Brown, Katherine Schwarzenegger was inspired to help address the issue of Maternal Mortality. Having had no prior knowledge of the overwhelming number of mothers and children that die of pregnancy and birth-related causes around the world, Katherine researched the devastating statistics – every minute one woman dies in childbirth and every year over 1 million children are left motherless.
Katherine decided to take action and the VIDA bag was born. VIDA means life in Spanish and the logo on the bag represents a mother (big heart) and a child (small heart). Sales of the bag benefit CARE and the White Ribbon Alliance, organizations that work to raise awareness of and address the problem of Maternal Mortality. And the bags were crafted in India by women survivors of abuse and homelessness.
Join us in following Katherine Schwarzenegger’s inspiring lead and help save the lives of Mothers worldwide by purchasing a VIDA bag.
