7 of the most courageous mothers you'll ever meet

Read on for stories of mothers who overcame obstacles, battled distressing situations and made phenomenal sacrifices for their children.
 

Binta, Chad

Binta and her family fled their home in north-eastern Nigeria when her village was targeted by Boko Haram.

“On the morning of the attack, we fled to the boats and went to Chad. I was close to giving birth but I had no idea that they were twins. I had to go to the hospital to give birth. I was very afraid of losing them.”

“Today I'm fine, and when I look at my little twins, healthy, I feel blessed. We are all survivors here."
 

Martha, Malawi

 

Martha was born with HIV at a time when a diagnosis often meant death, especially for children in low income countries. Now a mother herself, Martha has defied the odds and her son Rahim is part of Malawi’s AIDs-free generation.

A decade ago, less than 1% of pregnant and breastfeeding women living with HIV were receiving the best treatment available. Now, three in five are on antiretroviral treatment. To prevent transmission from mother to child, Martha took daily treatment and tested Rahim six weeks after he was born.

Martha raises him independently, and is clearly proud of her young son: “I was so excited, so happy he was not carrying the virus. [He’s] growing healthy and strong. He is happy, friendly and feels comfortable with anybody.”

After receiving assistance through a teen support group as an adolescent mother living with HIV, Martha now speaks publicly about her experiences to help other young mothers. “I encourage other mothers I meet that even if they’re HIV-positive, it’s not the end of the world, they can still live a long life.”
 

Neveen, Gaza

 

Neveen’s husband passed away in a blast that hit a UN run school in Gaza. The blast wounded three of her children, including 6 year-old Rosol, and left Neveen with a permanent disability.

Now responsible for raising her four children alone, Neveen’s main concern is their health.

“[Rosol] saw a lot of things - people injured with missing hands or legs, with wounded faces and eyes. She also saw her father killed. This was shocking for her. It had serious psychological effects on her.” She brings three of them to receive psychosocial support from a counsellor working for UNICEF partner The Palestinian Centre for Democracy and Conflict Resolution.

Inspired by these courageous mums? You can honour your mother's dedication and compassion with a UNICEF Inspired Gift this Christmas. Buy mum a present that reaches children around the world with life-changing supplies now, or read on for more stories.

 

 

 

Maryamu, Nigeria

 

When members of the Boko Haram rebel group attacked the church in Maryamu’s hometown, she was home sick. When she heard gunshots, she grabbed her daughter and ran.

Maryamu has not seen her husband since and fears the worst.

In a camp for internally displaced people in Yola, Maryamu and her daughter are receiving medical and school supplies and access to clean water from UNICEF. Maryamu wants to return home when it’s safe - even though she knows there is little left of her former life. “There is nothing in our house. They took it all. We had a motorcycle and many cows. It’s all gone.”

Violence is not the only threat facing children across Nigeria. UNICEF is working to keep children safe from the looming threat of famine and from the deadly diseases which break out so easily in crowded displacement camps. In 2017, UNICEF needs to vaccinate 1.8 million children in Nigeria against measles and work hard to prevent another outbreak of polio.
 

Amira, Germany

 

Amira and her family are refugees from Homs, Syria. In 2015, they made the weeks-long journey from Turkey by land and sea to Germany where they filed for asylum.

Despite the hardship and violence they’ve faced, Amira and her husband, Khalid, are careful to stay strong and positive for their children.

“The scariest part was the water crossing. We managed to put all three kids to sleep before the boat left, and used our bodies as shields between them and the sea so they couldn’t see the water… We had to master our emotions so we didn’t transmit our fear to the kids.”

Amira has big dreams for the future of her family - and plans to work hard to make them come true. “We’re very determined - all of us - to go to school and master German. Twenty years from now, I hope that people around the world will talk about our family and the challenges that we faced and the successes we achieved.”
 

Bimala, Nepal

 

Bimila was outside her house when the earthquake struck. Her husband and four year-old daughter fled their house before it collapsed, but her youngest child - 18 month-old Kris - got trapped under the rubble.

Bimala and her husband rushed into the rubble and dug out Kris with their hands. He was unconscious and covered in dust. “It was terrible. I can’t remember anything [but] the dust and his blue face.”

When Kris regained consciousness, Bimila began to breastfeed him. “I thought ‘Oh my God, we are all alive. If another earthquake happens, we will be OK, because we are safe now. The world can fall apart, but we are together’”.
 

Salome, Fiji

 

When Cyclone Winston started to tear apart Salome's home in Fiji, she huddled her two sons in the corner and, as the roof and walls were blown away, she reached for the only thing that could protect her one-year-old boy: a suitcase.

Salome placed her baby in the suitcase and used her body to shield it from flying tree branches and debris. The eye of the cyclone gave her just enough time to grab her boys and run to the relative safety of the village hall, where all three survived this terrifying night together.

UNICEF helped bring Salome, her children and thousands more like them access to water, health care and safe spaces to recover.