Part of our goal at GreenLamp is to support and prepare young women for the wider responsibilities of community midwifery beyond their technical and medical expertise. Interpersonal and leadership skills are key to their roles, helping them to put mothers at ease, interact confidently with other professionals, and act as role models for others in their communities. GreenLamp runs workshops for final year midwifery students, with the purpose of sharing important communication skills and tools that the future midwives can use when they are working in rural health centres.

GreenLamp President Christina Blecher was joined by Camilla Tregonning, from our Communications team, to run the latest in a series of workshops for 4th and final year Hamlin College midwifery students. For 2.5 days, the students focused on understanding the needs of others, as well as fostering empathetic listening, with the aim of respectful dialogue and cooperation between patients and co-workers.​ First-time visitor Camilla was inspired by the student’s impressive engagement and willingness to learn. Deeply touched by her time in Ethiopia, Camilla is keen to return once travel restrictions are lifted.

A first for GreenLamp, Christina also led 2.5 days of communications and leadership training with final year midwifery students and academic staff of ,LeDeG Midwifery College. The college is a newly established social enterprise, training midwives to work in Addis Ababa and rural locations in Ethiopia.