Adequate pre and postnatal care in Ghana is a challenge.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Ghana has a high maternal mortality ratio. The West African country’s newborn and maternal mortality is 308 to 100,000 live births compared to the standard of 70 to 100,000 live births.
Isabella Jenney ’25 is the latest Union student to win a Kathryn Wasserman Davis Projects for Peace award. Her project, “Maternal Health and Resources,” is among 129 selected from across 94 partner institutions.
Poor access to healthcare services and the lack of skilled birth attendants are among the contributing factors to the high maternal mortality rate.
Isabella Jenney ’25 wants to help change that.
“Every person with a uterus deserves proper healthcare and health education, especially in regards to prenatal and postnatal care,” said Jenney.
A biology major with minors in global and popular musics, and psychology, Jenney will travel to Egyam this summer to focus on the community’s maternal healthcare.
She is the latest Union student to win a Kathryn Wasserman Davis Projects for Peace award. Her project, “Maternal Health and Resources,” is among 129 selected from across 94 partner institutions.
Now in its 17th year, the Davis competition is an invitation to undergraduates to design grassroots projects that they will implement during the summer. The objective is to encourage and support students to create and try out their ideas for building peace. Each project is funded with a $10,000 grant.
Jenney’s choice to focus on maternal healthcare aligns with her goal of becoming a certified nurse midwife. Over seven weeks this summer, she plans to teach classes on prenatal and postnatal care, malaria prevention methods and family planning. She will teach at a local clinic, in a school for young women, and through visiting families in their homes and community centers. She also hopes to purchase necessary hospital equipment for the maternity unit of the local clinic.
“I hope that by offering these classes and resources, the community will gain some important background knowledge,” said Jenney. “I also want to reach the population of young women in Egyam with this information. I am looking forward to sharing these resources with the community, as well as learning from everyone that I meet while I’m there.”
Jenney is the third Union student in the last six years to complete their project in Ghana, joining Emmanuella Oppong ’19 and Crystal Flax ’22.
“Isabella's project is exciting because it both builds on previous Davis Projects in Ghana at Stitching Talents Vocational School and allows her to do something new directly related to her passions,” said Lynn Evans, director of Fellowships and Doctoral Pathways.
Since its founding in 2007, Projects for Peace has funded more than 2,200 projects. Projects are nominated by partner colleges and universities.
Projects for Peace was founded by Kathryn W. Davis, who celebrated her 100th birthday by supporting 100 Projects for Peace, designed “to bring about a mindset of preparing for peace, instead of preparing for war.”
To learn more about this year’s projects, visit the website.
Isabella Jenney ‘25
Hometown: Malvern, Pa.
Major: Biology
Minors: Global and Popular Musics, Psychology
Activities at Union: Supplemental Instruction lead mentor; ecology student researcher; vice president of the Eliphalets a cappella group; treasurer of the Pre-Health Society; Klemm Fellow