Enabling Women in Africa to Give Birth Safely

• Globally, every day, 786 women die trying to have a baby. 70% occur in Africa, the vast majority avoidable.
• For every death, about 20 other women suffer an injury, the most feared being an obstetric fistula. Left untreated, a woman suffering a fistula will live a life of incontinence, misery, shame, and ostracism. 40% will plan or attempts suicide.
• Deaths and fistulas occur in Africa simply because many women don’t have access to safe medical care. Fistulas occur very rarely in well-resourced countries simply because comprehensive obstetric emergency care (including a caesarean) is normally available to women.

Motivated by Jesus Christ’s call to love and serve the poor, Barbara May Foundation has responded to this need by facilitating free and safe care for poor and vulnerable women during childbirth and for those already suffering from complications arising from childbirth. We seek to honour women’s dignity and restore their agency by facilitating the repair of obstetric fistulas caused by obstructed labour, and by working to eliminate fistulas and prevent women dying in childbirth.

About Barbara May Foundation

Barbara May Foundation is an Australian registered charity with tax deductibility status established in 2009 by Medical Director, Dr Andrew Browning AM, an obstetrician and gynaecologist, as well as being one of the world’s leading fistula surgeons.

Barbara May Foundation has supported hospitals in Ethiopia, Tanzania, South Sudan, and Northern Uganda. We receive no government funding, and our donors, from all over the world, support the provision of maternal healthcare in Africa.

About the Role

This role is responsible for raising philanthropic funds through a portfolio of community and church partners, events and other brand initiatives. Key accountabilities are to grow our community partners: churches, schools, community groups such as Rotary or Probus, ambassadors and volunteers to raise awareness and funds for Barbara May Foundation. It also requires event management experience.

This is a newly created 3 days a week role.

We would love to hear from you if you have five or more years of experience in your field of expertise. You will have excellent relevant experience, including developing and implementing strategies and engaging potential donor groups.

Outstanding written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to make clear and highly articulate presentations to a variety of high-level stakeholders and be pro-actively engaging with and influencing audiences across a range of settings.

Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to manage a wide variety of diverse relationships utilising a collaborative and consultative approach in communication.

You will be self-motivated and provide innovative ideas to solve problems. It is expected that you will be developing good skills navigating a small but complex not-for-profit with its primary program of work being overseas and many of our donors too.

• Excellent public speaking
• Event management experience
• Desirable: fundraising experience, preferably community fundraising.

We need someone who is happy to work from home, but also be in close communication with our small but collaborative team. We are mainly Sydney based, but happy to hear from applicants in close regional surrounds of Sydney.

A position description is attached.