20 Years Helping African Mothers!

An Initial Spark of Inspiration.

A chance viewing 20 years ago of a Panorama report on maternal mortality in Chad became the spark that would drastically change the course of neonatal nurse Angela Gorman's life—and lead to the founding of a charity that has since helped save the lives of hundreds of thousands of African mothers.

The powerful episode, aired on 26 June 2005, followed Dr Grace Kodindo’s mission to expose the dire state of maternal healthcare in Chad.

Angela watched, deeply moved, as the doctor looked into the camera and said: “We lost a woman on Saturday. A woman on Sunday. And we lost two women today.” The stark contrast with conditions at University Hospital Cardiff’s neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), where Angela worked—just two maternal deaths in 12 years—left her stunned.

The problem was shockingly simple: women in Chad couldn’t access everyday medications that were readily available in the UK—particularly Misoprostol, a drug used to prevent and treat life-threatening postpartum haemorrhage. As chair of the Cardiff and Vale UNISON health branch, she persuaded colleagues to commit £5,000 to send supplies of the medication to Chad.

Dr Grace Kodindo’s hospital—Hôpital Général de Référence Nationale (HGRN) in Chad’s capital, N'Djamena—was caring for around 12,000 women each year. On average, they were losing 30 to 40 mothers a month, along with around a quarter of the babies. A staggering 99% of these deaths were preventable.

Within a few months of the shipment arriving, the impact was undeniable: they were saving around 25 women each month, and new-born deaths had fallen from 23% to just 7%.

What Happened Next?

That might have been the end of it, but instead, Angela, along with three nursing colleagues, co-founded a charity called Hope for Grace Kodindo. Determined to do more, they travelled to Chad to meet Dr Kodindo in person at her hospital and see first-hand what further support they could offer.

Their journey became the focus of a follow-up Panorama report, titled "Dead Mums Don't Cry: What Happened Next" filmed just five months after the original broadcast. The documentary also featured interviews with local officials and NGOs, including Dr Vincent Faveau, then the UNFPA Advisor on Maternal Health for Sub-Saharan Africa.

It was Dr Faveau who urged the charity to extend its work to Liberia and Sierra Leone in 2007. As their reach grew beyond Chad, the organisation was renamed Life for African Mothers in 2010, at Dr Kodindo’s request, to reflect its broader mission.

Over the next two decades, Angela worked with everyone from Welsh Assembly Members to government ministers in Sierra Leone and Liberia, from UN doctors to major pharmaceutical companies.

A pivotal partnership emerged with the charity International Health Partners (IHP), which stockpiles donated medications for use in disaster zones. “We realised that IHP had stores of Misoprostol,” Angela explains. “It’s considered an emergency drug in obstetrics, but not in the context of natural disasters, so they offered to pass it on to us.”

LFAM has also been organizing regular trips for volunteer midwives to visit these countries and impart vital knowledge to the local health workers.

What began with a £5,000 shipment of medication has grown into a continent-wide effort to reduce maternal mortality. Through tireless advocacy, cross-continental partnerships, and a refusal to accept preventable deaths, Angela Gorman and Life for African Mothers have helped rewrite the story for hundreds of thousands of women. And they’re not finished yet!

You can see the original powerful Panorama report "Dead Mums Don't Cry" and the follow-up "What Happened Next" on the LFAM website. Follow this link to the video page.

Pictured below is the original HGRN maternity department that Angela's team visited, and Dr Grace with the doctor who gave the first dose of the medications and saved a women's life.

As a result of the publicity created by the Panorama programme, LFAM's visits and Dr Grace's advocacy, the Chadian government built a brand new maternity hospital and decided that the care for pregnant women, their babies, plus the care of children up to the age of 5 yrs, would be free.

Dr Grace Kodindo

A Visit by Archbishop Desmond Tutu

There have been many moments in LFAM's twenty-year journey that have sparked joy, and one that stands out is the visit by Nobel Peace Prize winner Archbishop Desmond Tutu to the Temple of Peace in Cardiff, Wales, on 25 October 2012.

Tutu addressed an audience of around 180 delegates, emphasizing the African philosophy of Ubuntu, a Zulu word often translated as “I am because you are,” reflecting the belief that our humanity is bound together.

Angela Gorman, who played a key role in bringing Archbishop Tutu to Wales for his first visit since 2009, described Ubuntu as "recognising the humanity of everybody else around you."

The event powerfully positioned Cardiff, and LFAM’s work, as part of a global community grounded in mutual honour, dignity, and shared responsibility. Tutu’s presence elevated the idea that humanitarian efforts like LFAM’s are not simply acts of charity, but expressions of equality and interdependence. That framing helped reinforce the ethical heart of LFAM’s identity and its outreach in both Wales and across Sub-Saharan Africa.

During the visit, Angela also connected with Reverend Canon Mpho Tutu van Furth, Archbishop Tutu’s daughter and a lifelong advocate for justice and women’s rights. In March 2025, Mpho became a patron of LFAM—a powerful continuation of the values her father so passionately embodied.

This YouTube video by the Royal Commonwealth Society of Wales shows part of Tutu's visit to The Temple of Peace and you can really feel his warmth and sincerity. Angela also appears on screen, engaging with Tutu and attendees.

A Very Special Baby

Working with Life for African Mothers brings many unforgettable moments, but few more powerful than witnessing the life-saving results of your work first-hand.

Pictured above is the LFAM team who travelled to Liberia in June 2015, joined by several local midwives, many of whom had seen unimaginable suffering. The visit took place just after the country was declared Ebola-free.

The baby also pictured is Angela Alice, held by her mother, who lives in a Liberian slum.

Angela Gorman recalls:

“We visited her when she was about eight months old, and Abdul explained that her mum had suffered a catastrophic haemorrhage after giving birth. He’d been called to collect our Misoprostol from the pharmacy, and it saved her life.

When Abdul told her where the medication had come from, she decided to name her baby after me. Mothers aren’t told where the medicine comes from, only that it’s there when they need it. And crucially, that they don’t have to pay for it.”

It’s moments like these that capture the heart of LFAM’s mission: delivering hope, dignity, and life. One mother, one baby at a time.

LFAM in Sierra Leone

When LFAM began supporting Sierra Leone in 2009, it was the most dangerous place in the world to give birth, with a Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) of 2,100 deaths per 100,000 live births. For comparison, the MMR in the UK was just 9.

Today, Sierra Leone’s MMR has fallen dramatically to 359, moving it from the highest in the world to 19th place globally.

This remarkable progress has been supported in part by LFAM’s commitment to midwifery training, not only equipping midwives with life-saving knowledge, but also helping create Midwife Champions who provide cascade training to their colleagues.

The Legacy of Mr Abdul Bangura

Mr Abdul Bangura volunteered with LFAM in Sierra Leone from 2017 until his passing in December 2023, bringing an infectious smile and unwavering commitment to improving maternal healthcare. Abdul was the main person in charge of distributing Misoprostol, gathering monthly usage data, and supporting all midwifery training initiatives in the districts LFAM served. 

He earned the profound respect of the community—often described as an "elder brother"—and was known for his integrity, kindness, and constant presence, even during emergencies like fires, floods, and mudslides.

In January 2024, LFAM received a donated vehicle funded by The Waterloo Foundation to improve medicine and midwife transport. LFAM honoured Abdul’s dedication by naming the vehicle after him—cementing his legacy in the continued mission they shared.

Abdul Bangura was a cornerstone of LFAM’s work in Sierra Leone; a compassionate, humble, and deeply respected volunteer whose hands-on efforts helped save thousands of lives. His legacy now lives on through the vehicle bearing his name and the ongoing work of his son, Abdul Bangura Junior, who succeeded him and continues the family's vital contribution.

Awards for LFAM

It's an amazing feeling when your work is recognised at a national level.

Angela Gorman was awarded an MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) in the June 2020 Honours List for her charitable services as the founder of Life for African Mothers. She initially thought the notification email was a scam, chuckling that she expected it to ask for money; but it was indeed the real deal!

LFAM was also recognised by the UK Government’s Points of Light programme in February 2019.

The Points of Light award honours outstanding volunteers who are making a change in their community and inspiring others. 

The award came with a personal letter from then Prime Minister Theresa May, who wrote:

“You are providing invaluable education for midwives across Africa, saving the lives of women and children. Your dedication to improving maternal health is remarkable, and I wish you the best with your continued work.”