“you never forget a beautiful thing that you have made”

This quote – by Chef Max Bugnard, Julia Child’s instructor at Le Cordon Bleu – was clearly referring to food.

But for Lacy Stroessner of Living on Love, it serves as a reminder of her role as a mother. And with Mother’s Day approaching, she’s decided to amplify this message, and do something wonderful too.

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Lacy has partnered with the talented Jennifer Laber (of Gomming and Hello Cheeseburger), to create this exclusive print – which would make a lovely Mother’s Day (or mother-to-be) gift for someone you love.

And check this – HALF of all proceeds from their sale will be donated to the Edna Adan University Hospital in Somaliland.

If you’ve read Half the Sky – or watched the documentary – you may remember Edna Adan. To say that this is an incredible, amazing woman is the understatement of the year. A woman of wealth and privilege (she was the first Somali woman to drive a car), she opened the hospital in 2002 – in the most impoverished, devastated region of Somaliland.

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image courtesy of Edna Adan Hospital

Somaliland’s health care system was completely destroyed by the civil war, leaving the country with the highest maternal and infant mortality rate in the world:

“Every year, one baby in eight dies in infancy while nearly 4000 Somali women die in childbirth. This tragedy can be attributed in large part to the long civil war which brought about the death or departure of nearly all of the country’s trained health care professionals.” 

The hospital’s primary mission is to train fully qualified doctors and nurses, along with training and dispatching thousands of midwives throughout the country.

The hospital also fights hard against the practice of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), which is carried out in catastrophic numbers throughout region.

You can read more about the hospital’s objectives on their website.

As a woman, a mother and a daughter, I am in utter awe of Edna Adan’s accomplishments, and her continued commitment to fighting for improved maternal and infant health care in her country.

The print is $30 (including free U.S. shipping), and will ship within 3-5 business days of order- so there’s plenty of time to get one (or two) before Mother’s Day, May 12th. Click here to order.

As a mother of three beautiful, healthy children I am always grateful for the outstanding health care I received during my pregnancies and deliveries. Even with Noah – and my (ahem) “advanced maternal age” causing additional precautions and observations – there was never a doubt in my mind that my health, or that of my baby’s, was in the best of hands. To think that those basic rights are not only a luxury, but something out of reach for thousands of women, is unfathomable to me.

Edna Adan and her hospital are fighting every day to change this – so that quality health care is the norm, not the exception, for women and children in Somaliland.

Thanks to Lacy and Jennifer for making something beautiful that will potentially benefit so many. And thanks so much to YOU for reading, and for taking the time to consider this worthy cause; I truly appreciate every single one of you.

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Hi! I'm Sheri!

Welcome to my little corner of the web where you’ll find easy, delicious recipes, the best kitchen hacks and simple tips for turning your home into a clean haven that is free of toxins. So glad you’re here!