A newly constructed maternity block in Cheshegu has brought renewed optimism to thousands of women in the area who previously had little or no access to safe and dignified maternal care.
The facility, which features a delivery room, multiple delivery beds, and a postnatal care ward, is expected to serve over 2,500 pregnant women annually from four surrounding communities.
The project was spearheaded by Aissatou Dieng, a Senegalese exchange volunteer deployed to Cheshegu in 2024 through CorpsAfrica/Ghana. Working alongside the community using the Asset-Based Community-Led Development (ABCD) model, she helped identify urgent local needs and co-designed a sustainable solution rooted in community participation.
Kenneth Mwin, CorpsAfrica’s Volunteer Liaison for the Northern Region, applauded the community’s active involvement and underscored the importance of local ownership in sustaining development projects.
“This is a facility built with the sweat and commitment of the people,” he stated. “It is important that the community continues to take good care of it, ensure it’s well-maintained, and treat it as their own. Only then can this project serve its purpose for generations to come.”
The District Director of Health Services for Kumbungu, Mr. Braimah Faruk, expressed his excitement over the facility’s potential to improve maternal health outcomes.
“This maternity block will provide much-needed safety, privacy, and convenience to pregnant women and their babies,” he said.
He assured residents that the health service would put the facility to full use. “We are committed to putting it into full use to ensure no mother or child is left behind,” Mr. Braimah added.
Chief of Cheshegu, Naa Iddrisu Aminu, praised CorpsAfrica and the volunteer for what he described as a life-saving initiative.
“This project didn’t just bring us a building; it brought us together. From planning to execution, we were involved every step of the way. That alone has taught us the value of unity and community-driven development.”
For the people of Cheshegu, the maternity block represents far more than infrastructure. It is a powerful symbol of hope, self-reliance, and progress—a reflection of what communities can achieve when they lead their own development journey.
