Notes From the Field

Sudanese woman with her baby

2008 was a powerful year for COHI's programming as we saw our first meetings take place between Israeli and Palestinian midwives and enjoyed the successes of sending another delegation of health care volunteers to Tanzania to work alongside COHI's partners there to improve the quality and access of women's health services. We also applaud the commitment and flexibility of COHI's Sudan Project Manger, Erica Johnson, who continues to bend according to the precarious circumstances in Khartoum as she plans COHI's women's health training course.

Your support is essential for COHI to continue its programming in these critical areas. We hope that you will remember us at this time as you honor those around you with gifts. You can click here to learn more about how to support COHI through our "Conscious Giving" holiday gift program.

Board of Directors Recruitment

Some of COHI's Board members, volunteers, and staff at COHI's 2008 Board retreat in upstate New York

January is the time of year that COHI's Board of Directors members renew their commitment to our shared vision for women's health. We are currently recruiting individuals like you to join this group of talented, generous, and compassionate individuals to lead COHI though our fieldwork, fundraising, and organizational development. Please click here to learn about the current Board of Directors, and click here to read about the requirements for these voluntary positions.

Send an email and your CV to info[at]cohintl.org if you are interested in joining COHI's Board of Directors in 2009. We cannot do this work without the leadership and commitment of our Board, and we'd love to hear from YOU about how you can get involved. 

COHI and V-day Opportunities

Participants in the 2008 V-Day production in North Carolina

Recently, a physician working in Gaza disclosed that in the population he serves, 95% of women experience violence at the hands of their husbands during their pregnancies. In Sudan, rape is commonly used as a weapon of war to humiliate, punish and control women. In Tanzania, COHI found, through its partnership with local women's health providers, that providers feel they lack they skills needed to treat and counsel women seeking clinical care after incidents of sexual assault and domestic violence. 

These are specific examples of how COHI’s programming in these areas can save lives. 

Join COHI and our partners, V-day, to organize a V-day performance in your community! Such efforts will go directly to COHI's programs supporting and training women's healthcare providers in violence-related support in Israel, Palestine, Tanzania, and Sudan. The training and support COHI provides through V-day fundraising can have staggeringly powerful effects on women living through war, violence, disaster, extreme poverty, and displacement. 

Send an email to info[at]cohintl.org to learn more about how to get involved in this global effort. 

Old Friends Return

Leilani Johnson, MPH

COHI is pleased to share the good news that Leilani Johnson, MPH, is returning to the position of Administrative Manager in 2009. She is based in Boston, MA, and looks forward to supporting the COHI staff, field volunteers, donors, and beneficiaries. In addition to her administrative duties, she will be leading the charge for V-day efforts in the coming months. Leilani, we are thrilled to have you back with us and look forward to 2009 to be a big year for COHI thanks in part to your leadership and talents. Thank you!

"Mothers Acting Up" Calendar

Front cover, MAU Calendar

Support the mothers you love this holiday season by purchasing this inspiring 2009 day calendar from "Mothers Acting Up." COHI and our Executive Director are featured, as well as other organizations and individual mothers. The calendar includes 52 stories of some inspiring individuals who dare to reach out, lending a hand to help other mothers and children in need. For every calendar purchased through the banner on the COHI website, COHI receives 15% of the profits! Join us today in sharing these stories of mothers from around the world, and find yourself moved to do what you can do to make some change in our corners of the world.