Going into labor can be an anxious time, especially for first time mothers. In Germany, it’s often the midwife who provides support and helps young women get through the ordeal.

Bianca Kasting, 32, knows this well enough. Last year, when she gave birth to her first child, a midwife was there to hold her hand.

In Germany there are around 21,000 midwives. And although the work they do is vital, they are often underpaid, and have to pay high insurance premiums. The situation has become so bad, that many midwives have joined protests around the country, or left the profession entirely.

Bianca wanted to do something to help, so she launched an online petition, and even cycled around Germany – her baby in tow – to raise awareness about the plight of midwives.

Listen to the report from Michael Hartlep, Germany:

Kelly Dortmands has spent a decade growing her meter-long dreadlocks, but now she’s planning to shave them all off. She’s not doing it to change her look or to make a fashion statement. The 32-year-old is shedding her 53 dreads for a good cause – to raise money for cancer.

Cancer is currently the number one cause of death in the Netherlands. Kelly has seen it affect the people close to her, including her mother and her friend.

Kelly wanted to do something to help. She’s hoping to raise 5300 euros – 100 euros per dreadlock – for the Dutch Cancer Fund.

Listen to the radio report by Laura Postma in Den Bosch, Netherlands:

In Dublin, Rachel Ashe was shocked when she was diagnosed with epilepsy. First by the fact that she would have to take medication for the rest of her life, but also by all the prejudice and ignorance about the disease that she encountered. So, she decided to set up her own support network – Epilepsy Ireland – and now she spends much of her time helping others with epilepsy and raising awareness about the illness that affects some 30 to 40 thousand people in Ireland. One of them is reporter Eoin Kernen, who brings us this week’s Generation Change report from Dublin.

Listen to Eoin Kernen’s report from Dublin:

Opening hearts for epileptics in Ireland

 

More about Epilepsy Ireland on their website and their Facebook page.

What’s it like to know you’re going to die soon? If you’re 10 years old and terminally ill, what you probably need the most is a good friend. Shlomie, a youth orthodox Jew from northern England, is like a big brother to a terminally ill boy. Sharing the gift of quality time, says Shlomie, is a small sacrifice that makes him feel on top of the world.

Listen to the report by Andrew Edwards in Manchester:

UK mentor brightens dying child’s world

Playing the piano, going for walks and doing household chores are what make Daniel in New York an everyday hero for Alzheimer’s patient Byron O’Connell. Now he’s making a film to encourage those dealing with the disease.

Listen to the report from Laura Postma in New York:

Dignity in disease

Pictures: J.P. Dobrin

Byron has helped Dan see people differently

More on Daniel Davy’s blog.

 

Sinu, 30, from Bangalore, gave up a promising engineering career to give back to her community. She is now on a mission to keep adolescent girls in school by promoting awareness about the taboo topic of menstruation.

Listen to the report by Pia Chandavarkar in Bangalore:

An ear for adolescent girls in Bangalore

How many times have you donated blood? A young man in Nigeria is so concerned about saving lives that he co-founded Club 25, enouraging others to donate blood 25 times before their 25th birthday. Women in childbirth are in particular need of fresh blood transfusions.

Listen to the report by Nonye Aghaji in Abuja, Nigeria:

Nigerian gives blood to save lives

If you live in a country with no centralized blood bank, where do you go if you need a transfusion? For Lebanese pharmacy student, Yorgui Keyrouz, the answer was his mobile phone. Lebanon’s health sector was in tatters following the country’s 15 year civil war, so Yorgui started an initiative to fill the gaping hole and he’s saved 15,000 lives already.

Listen to the report by Dalila Mahdawi:

Blood Bank in Lebanon

Halfway between Mae Sot and the Friendship Bridge linking Thailand and Burma stands the house of the Back Pack Health Worker Team, an association that, since 1998, has been giving health assistance to refugees and migrant workers in Thai territory and internal displaced people inside Burma.

A refugee and young mother herself, Snow is the deputy director of the Back Pack organization.

Listen to the report by Roberto Tofani (presented by André Leslie):

Young Burmese refugee organizes medical aid for others

Snow prefered not to be photographed. Here are some impressions from the region. Photos by Robert Tofani.