Melekoza, Ethiopia—Adugna Ayele and her husband Endrias Samuel have buried more children than they have living with them now. Of the six children Adugna delivered at home with the help of a traditional birth attendant, four died within the first month of life.
Nyabor Bandak, a gender counselor at Gambella Teachers Education and Health Science College, vividly remembers the nursing student’s visit to her office. The student, who was well on her way to fulfilling her dream of becoming a nurse, had discovered she was pregnant. Sad and distraught, the third-year student confided in Bandak that her partner had denied responsibility for the baby.
