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New Generations, Old Challenges: Questioning Grassroots Development in the Horn of Africa
JOURNAL OF YOUTH RESEARCHES
luctant to go, several others complain about the distance and the time they have to walk
for periodic checkups. And during delivery, lots of mothers prefer home delivery, as com-
monly assisted by traditional birth attendants. Unfortunately, home delivery commonly
instigates further health complications to the mothers and the newborn. This is mainly
because these village birth assistants tend to do the business instinctively, and charac-
teristically by contaminated and inappropriate tool.
I have got a child. I had to walk to Woyra clinic for six months during my pregnancy.
During delivery, I preferred to go to Attat where I stayed a month and half until de-
livery (HOARCM12, 24/04/11).
No matter how home delivery can be such dangerous, many families preferred it against
a long distance that they must carry mothers by stick stretchers. In the neighborhoods
under consideration, it is quite common to see young and mature male members carrying
patients by legendary stick stretchers on their shoulders, while reserve groups walk aside
in order to take turns at any moment in need. The stretcher trend turns dangerous espe-
cially when delivery would happen to be suddenly during the mid-night, and the worst
happens when summer season coincides with a night - a summer night. Once mothers
give birth, they do not have the knowledge and capability to toughen themselves and to
protect their newborns. They do not get the required amount and quality of nutrition so
as to adequately feed breast. The majority fail to take the newborns to a vaccination. And
so, the newborns become victims of transmittable diseases and insects. Seemingly, con-
sidering such reluctance, currently, health sectors started house- to –house vaccination
services.
Figure 2: Villagers carry patient to health center by stick stretchers over- shoulder
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