My name is Solange Ahidjo, I’m 26, and I am a midwife working at MSF maternity unit in Aboutengue camp in eastern Chad since January 2024—this marks my first-year anniversary with MSF. My role is to support women at every stage of their pregnancy, from before delivery to post-partum care. This includes assisting those facing potential obstetric or gynecologic complications and, most importantly, being there during childbirth.
At the maternity unit in this camp, I work alongside seven other midwives and seven midwife assistants. We have eight post-partum beds, six observation beds, and three delivery beds.
On average, we witness approximately 30 births per week —around four to five babies born per day—but there are days when we attend seven or eight deliveries. I’ve never really counted, but there are always so many babies born here. In 2024 alone, we managed nearly 1000 births.
Outside the maternity ward, as part of the outpatient care, a dedicated team of midwives and their assistants provide antenatal and postnatal consultations to pregnant women. Additionally, a small core team of midwives operates our mobile clinic around the camp. We also support survivors of sexual violence by providing essential medical care and offering psychosocial support based on their needs.
Women supporting women—this is how I feel it.
The women who come to the maternity unit trust us deeply, confiding their anxieties about the future. Around 80 per cent of our patients are Sudanese women who fled the war in 2023 and have been living in the camp ever since. We do everything we can to reassure them and support them in any way possible.
As a woman who has given birth myself, I understand their pain—I know what they’re going through.
It’s not always easy, but I am proud of the work I do. Each time I attend a birth, I feel a profound sense of pride. I love my profession deeply, and I want to continue practicing it every day for the rest of my life.
First baby born in 2025 in MSF clinic at Aboutenege camp
Rachida's baby boy, born at 1.20am on 2 January in MSF maternity ward at Aboutengue camp:
"My name is Rachida Mahamat. I am a Sudanese refugee in eastern Chad. Since the beginning of my pregnancy, I have been attending antenatal consultations with MSF team in Aboutengue camp.
I visited the clinic five times and was given information about the progress of my pregnancy. I was also given cereals and oil to improve my health, as recommended by the midwife during the consultations.
At my last appointment, the midwife told me that I was already nine months pregnant and advised me to go to the maternity ward if I felt any pain. In the late hours of the 1st of January, I began to feel abdominal pain.
When I arrived at the maternity ward, a midwife examined me and told me that I would be giving birth in a few hours. Although I was in pain from the contractions, I received constant support throughout this difficult time.
At around 1:00 am on 2nd of January, I gave birth to a baby boy. The midwives told me that I was the first woman to give birth there in 2025 and that my baby was the first newborn of the year in MSF maternity ward in the camp.
I am happy and I thank MSF team for taking such good care of me and my baby.”
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