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[Janet Root]

Medical needs of women and children in Mali are absolutely staggering--easily among the worst in the entire world. About one in 15 Malian women die in pregnancy or childbirth and 25 percent of children never see their fifth birthday.

Medical workers at Koutiala Hospital for Women and Children, Brett and Sheri MacLean, put a face on this tragedy in their recent newsletter. And they offered hope. "Gifts to the Alliance Great Commission Fund allow us to be God's hands to care for these orphans."

Sheri attends to babies whose mothers have died--mostly from childbirth complications because of no medical help. Families typically keep the surviving babies, but feeding them is another story. In this West African nation--where the average income is little more than $3 a day--baby formula is too expensive, so these babies often die.

Many of the surviving babies' families come to the hospital for help, the MacLean's said. "We're able to provide nutrition for them because of your gifts to the Alliance Great Commission Fund. . .

"Yaya is a good example. His mother died five days after his birth, and the family was unable to attend to him. Our team was able to care for Yaya until a Malian family was chosen to receive him. We continue to provide formula to the family, and he is growing big and strong."

What inspiring survivor stories have you heard in your church from visiting Alliance field workers?

[Janet Root]

Read more great survival stories from the MacLeans in "Great Commission Fund Saving Babies' Lives in Mali."