Farah, Afghanistan - After giving birth to seven children, two of them at home without the assistance of a skilled midwife, Spozhmai felt the heaviness of yet another impending childbirth while living in the remote Gulistan district of Farah, where access to healthcare is scarce.

For each of the seven childbirths, Spozhmai has a harrowing story of endurance and survival amidst the rugged terrain of her province.

"I faced so many challenges during my previous deliveries," Spozhmai confided, her voice breaking with the traumatic memory of labour pains and the spectre of complications. “There were moments when I feared for my child's life when the pain was so overwhelming that I thought I might not survive to see another sunrise.”

For Spozhmai, the path to motherhood, spent in remote Gulistan where access to healthcare was scarce, and resources were few and far between, each childbirth in the hands of an untrained birth attendant was a battle for survival, a test of courage in the face of overwhelming odds.

" Isolation and the overwhelming nature of childbirth complications were beyond my imagination," Spozhmai confessed.."There were times when I felt utterly alone, as if the weight of the world was pressing down upon me, crushing my hopes and dreams."

Spozhmai thought it was the norm for childbirth until the Tali Kamand Family Health House (FHH), supported by the Government of Australia, opened in her community. The FHH became a sanctuary of compassionate care where pregnant women like Spozhmai could safely deliver."Finding such compassion and help in a place like this is beyond anything I could have imagined," Spozhmai said as she expressed gratitude to healthcare workers who stood ready to guide her through childbirth. "For the first time in my life, I feel like I am not alone, there are people who truly care about me and my child," she said.

In the gentle supervision of midwife Atifa Rahmani, Spohmai found reassurance of a safe birth. Atifa's words of encouragement translated into a lifeline and a beacon of hope that guided Spozhmai through pregnancy and childbirth.

“Thanks to the love and care of people like Atifa, I have been given a chance to hold my child close and cherish every precious moment we will share together," Spozhmai whispered as she cradled her newborn child in her arms.