Adole’s vision is deeply rooted in the belief that sustainable change comes from within communities and is championed by those who best understand their unique needs.

“About 85 percent of the people who attended our programs were women and children,” she said. “But in 2023, we heard an alarming statistic: the maternal mortality rate at a rural hospital in Nigeria was 51 percent. That changed everything.”

Adole, a nurse and a Black woman, established the U-VOL Foundation in 2014. The organization’s mission focuses on creating high-quality, community-driven programs while challenging the scarcity of diverse leadership in global health. Her decision to focus initially on Nigeria stemmed from personal connections and a firsthand understanding of the immense need. The Value Her initiative was a direct response to the candid feedback from midwives and other health staff themselves, who articulated a pressing need not for complex solutions, but for fundamental education and basic supplies.

“As a woman of color and a nurse, I didn’t see many like me leading global health efforts. Nurses bring a unique perspective—and it’s time more of us led the change,” she said. “When we asked midwives what they needed most, their answer wasn’t complex: education and basic supplies. That’s how Value Her was born.”

The Value Her program focuses on training and upskilling local staff, ensuring that approximately 80 percent of its volunteers are recruited from within local Nigerian communities. This approach fosters cultural relevance and promotes long-term sustainability.

The initiative’s founder said she firmly believes in equipping those already on the ground, fostering self-sufficiency rather than relying on external aid. The program founder said that 80 percent of the Value Her volunteers come from within the community.

“We train local trainers,” she said. “We don’t fly people in—we empower the people already there.”

These dedicated professionals often express a desire to stay and serve where they are, provided they receive the necessary support and mentorship.

“One midwife told us she finally felt seen—like someone created something specifically for her and her role,” Adole told Direct Relief. “In her words, it was the first time she felt empowered in her work.”

A cornerstone of the Value Her initiative is its comprehensive training in maternal and neonatal emergency care, encompassing crucial skills such as neonatal resuscitation.

“Newborns can die in their first minute of life simply because no one knows how to help them breathe—or they don’t have the equipment to do it. Resuscitation saves lives every day.”

Provider knowledge concerning maternal and neonatal emergencies has increased by 45 percent since the inception of Value Her, which Adole credits as an improvement to midwives’ life-saving capabilities. The organization will be monitoring maternal mortality at the hospital where training took place over the next year to identify any trends.

The U-VOL Foundation’s vital work is significantly amplified through its strategic partnership with Direct Relief. This collaboration has been pivotal in equipping the Value Her curriculum with essential resources. Adole said that the midwife kits provided by Direct Relief contain lifesaving equipment and are transformative tools that profoundly enhance the training experience.

“Each kit contains 61 items—from newborn resuscitation tools and baby scales to magnesium sulfate for preventing eclampsia. These are things that prevent maternal and neonatal emergencies. It’s lifesaving equipment.”

“Once we brought in the midwife kits from Direct Relief, we were able to provide more advanced training in low-resource settings. The kits didn’t just supplement our curriculum—they elevated it.”

Adole’s vision for sustainable impact is rooted in the belief that empowering local individuals is paramount, as they possess the deepest understanding of their communities’ nuances, the inherent passion, and the unwavering commitment to sustain the work long after external organizations have moved on. Her philosophy is clear: true progress comes from partnership, not patronage.

“Communities know themselves best,” she said. “They know the nuances, they have the passion, and they’re the ones who will keep the work going after we’re gone.”

The post Equipping Midwives for Success and Transforming Maternal Health in Nigeria appeared first on Direct Relief.

In response to last week’s devastating and deadly flooding in central Texas, shipments have departed for the state throughout the week, including to Hill Country Mission for Health, which is serving flood-impacted patients in Kendall County, Texas. Direct Relief has also committed $50,000 to search and rescue efforts, and offered field medic packs to equip first responders working in flood-affected areas.

Direct Relief has also responded to flash floods that swept through Ruidoso, New Mexico, on July 8, killing at least three people. The flooding unfolded as heavy rains deluged an area still scarred by the South Fork and Salt Fires of June 2024. The compromised soil transformed the region into a perilous conduit for the surging waters. Local officials have reported at least three deaths as emergency response crews continue to work.

On Thursday, Direct Relief shipped requested field medic packs for first responders as well as personal care items for displaced people. These are bound for the Mescalero Apache Tribe, whose reservation encompasses the affected area.

Direct Relief has a history of supporting the Mescalero Apache Tribe, having recently shipped 50 field medic packs, which contain medical essentials for triage care, within the last month. The organization plans to extend outreach to local health centers and clinics.

In 2024, Direct Relief provided medical support in response to the South Fork and Salt Fires, including requested personal care products for displaced people, field medic packs, and other essential supplies. Direct Relief will continue to monitor and respond to any requests for support.

The post Direct Relief’s U.S. Flooding Response Continues for Texas, New Mexico appeared first on Direct Relief.

Organized by Direct Relief, the workshop brought together thought leaders to address the urgent need for recovery following widespread displacement, toxic smoke exposure, and the region’s ongoing housing and insurance crisis. Andrew Schroeder, Direct Relief’s Vice President of Research and Analysis, led the discussions, highlighting how data and technology can be used to better understand who was impacted, how individuals were displaced, and what long-term support is needed, particularly for vulnerable communities.

Workshop participants represented NASA, Mapillary, Harvard University, the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services and Department of Public Health, Meta AI for Good, Watch Duty and CrisisReady. These healthcare, geoscience, mobile technology, data analysis and AI leaders continue to explore how technology can improve wildfire response in Los Angeles. 

“Most of us have participated in disaster drills or emergency simulations at some point, especially in healthcare or emergency management — it’s fairly standard,” Schroeder said. “But what we’ve been exploring is how to evolve those exercises to better reflect real-world complexities.”

The full-day workshop, available both online and in person, featured diverse sessions ranging from infrastructure analysis and disaster preparedness to environmental issues and chronic disease. Discussions also delved into a broader shift in disaster preparedness thinking, moving beyond immediate response to consider long-term impacts.

The group discussed the use of satellite and aerial data, including Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite, or VIIRS, to monitor wildfire progression and identify active fire hotspots. These capabilities, combined with AI-driven analysis, enhance the accuracy and speed of disaster assessments, supporting more effective response and recovery efforts.

Earlier this year, Schroeder worked with Harvard’s Institute for Climate and Sustainability to run a heat emergency simulation — not for first responders, but for professors across disciplines: engineering, design, medicine, even divinity. “It forced a very different kind of conversation,” he said.

The Harvard simulation was designed to be deliberately unconventional, pushing participants to consider a wider array of challenges

“It’s unorthodox, but our goal was to design a simulation that addressed not just the technical or medical side, but also the social, economic, and infrastructure challenges communities face during disasters,” Schroeder explained.

This cross-disciplinary focus aligns directly with the goals of the Los Angeles workshop. To create a realistic and impactful scenario, the simulation incorporated extensive data. “We incorporated decades of demographic, economic, and infrastructure data to help participants understand how a city like Phoenix got to where it is — and what preparing for extreme heat looks like, not just next year, but over the rest of this century,” Schroeder detailed.

This approach underscores the growing importance of data in understanding and preparing for complex, multi-year disaster scenarios. The workshop aimed to lay the groundwork for a forthcoming white paper, which will outline key questions, necessary tools, and vital partnerships to advance disaster recovery and preparedness, not just in Los Angeles but across other wildfire-prone regions.

The consensus underscored that true disaster preparedness involves comprehensive, long-term planning for all phases that follow a fire, extending well beyond the initial response. Schroeder emphasized the broader vision behind these initiatives, stating, “If we want to change how people approach disaster preparedness, we have to stop seeing it as just rescue and recovery. It’s really about stabilizing well-being and livelihoods — both in the immediate aftermath and over the long term.”

The post Data Workshop Explores Use of AI to Advance L.A. Wildfire Recovery appeared first on Direct Relief.