February 1st 2024.
Birth By Us, a platform dedicated to improving maternal health for Black women, has been awarded a $40,000 grant. This grant, known as the 2024 Westly Prize for Young Social Innovators, is an unrestricted grant that supports social enterprises with innovative ideas. According to AfroTech, the grant was created by The Westly Foundation, an organization that is committed to providing funding opportunities for education, healthcare, and the well-being of children.
Founded in 2021 by Ijeoma Uche, a graduate of the University of California Berkeley, and Mercy Oladipo, a pre-medical student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Birth By Us aims to provide resources for Black women from prenatal to postpartum. In an interview with The Brown Daily Herald, Uche shared that she felt a sense of support and empowerment through the creation of Birth By Us, something she hadn't experienced in a long time. She also highlighted the challenges of securing funding for a company focused on advancing Black maternal health.
The founders of Birth By Us were inspired to create the platform in order to address the alarming disparities faced by Black women during pregnancy and postpartum care. According to Oladipo, Black women experience some of the worst outcomes and experiences in these areas. The platform offers a variety of resources, including daily wellness checks, health insights, and a directory to help mothers-to-be prepare for their doctor visits. Uche and Oladipo also hope to give providers the necessary insights to better support their patients during their pregnancy and birth.
With the recent funding boost, Uche and Oladipo plan to expand their team, which currently includes four medical advisors, a biostatistics advisor, a technical advisor, and interns in product design and engineering. The duo is excited about the potential impact they can make with the help of this grant. Uche stated, "This will help us make the impact we want as quickly as we anticipate."
In addition to their work with Birth By Us, Uche and Oladipo are also advocating for Medicaid agencies to focus on low-income postpartum patients. They believe that this demographic is often overlooked and underserved, and are hoping to bring attention to this issue. Their dedication to improving maternal health for Black women is truly commendable and has not gone unnoticed. With the support of this grant, they are one step closer to achieving their goals and making a positive impact in the community.
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