In this video, Christy Harrison describes the work of midwives at Guinebor Hospital in Chad.
As of 2024, Chad has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world with approximately 1,140 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births. Women often have to walk several hours to reach a health center, so less than one-fourth of births take place in a clinic. Chad’s neonatal mortality rate is also elevated, for every 1,000 babies born, 32 of them die in the first month of their lives.
Harrison works with a team to change these statistics because, "we are convinced that this is close to God’s heart."
Hortense, Dia, Juliette, Roseline and Christy take a break from their work as midwives at Guinebor Hospital in N’Djamena, Chad. Celeste, Christy’s daughter, (third from left) absorbs the wisdom from her elders. Photographer: Peter Sensenig.
Christy Harrison and Peter Sensenig (her husband) and their three children began serving in Chad in 2021, co-appointed by Eastern Mennonite Missions and Mennonite Mission Network. Sensenig teaches seminary classes in Chad and has a global ministry building Muslim-Christian relationships.
