Education and support for pregnant women and new mothers in Africa living with HIV

By Mia James

Though identified as a “survivor” after overcoming breast cancer, Robin Smalley—formerly a Hollywood producer, writer, and director and now an HIV/AIDS advocate—didn’t fully understand the significance of the honor until she traveled to South Africa four years after her diagnosis and met HIV-positive mothers. These encounters among mothers challenged to care for themselves and their children while also confronting social stigma made Robin realize, she says, that “these women truly were survivors in the most heroic sense of the word.” Moved by their determination, Robin joined forces with Mitchell Besser, MD, an OB/GYN, to co-found and become international director of mothers2mothers (m2m), a Cape Town, South Africa–based nonprofit dedicated to educating and empowering HIV-positive mothers to be proactive in their own healthcare, protect their babies from contracting the virus, and provide support to confront social stigma.

mothers2mothers operates by recruiting HIV-positive mothers and training them to inspire, mentor, and counsel pregnant women newly diagnosed with the virus. These “mentor mothers” focus on instructing pregnant women in ways to prevent transmitting the HIV virus to the fetus during pregnancy as well as preventive measures (such as safe feeding methods) after the baby is born. They also encourage expectant and new mothers to adhere to medical treatment for HIV, as maintaining health of mothers will reduce the likelihood that babies will be orphaned should HIV progress to AIDS. In addition, mentor mothers provide social support aimed at empowering women to overcome the stigma of HIV in their communities and live positive and productive lives.

What’s particularly effective about m2m’s approach is that by employing HIV-positive women, the organization actively gives these mothers a way to contribute to their communities. Once women are educated about medical care and protecting their babies, they can assume valuable positions by becoming mentor mothers and sharing their knowledge and optimism. As role models, mentor mothers gain status that can challenge the social stigma of HIV while also setting an invaluable example of sound health and preventive practices.

Since its founding in a South Africa hospital in 2001, m2m has grown to include almost 500 sites in seven countries and reaches more than 150,000 women each month. And with the goal of continuing expansion throughout areas in sub-Saharan Africa most affected by HIV, countless more women, children, and communities stand to benefit.

“Being around women who didn’t have good fortune—as I did—yet who managed to face their HIV status with courage and spirit and a smile…now they are survivors,” says Robin of the women whose cause she now champions and who continue to inspire her. “Their desire to rise above their circumstances to help others made me realize I could do the same.”

For more information about mothers2mothers, visit www.m2m.org.