September 2010 – May 2011

Ashoka and the Maternal Health Task Force (MHTF) at EngenderHealth present the first annual Young Champions of Maternal Health Program. The nine month professional development opportunity will be launched at a global Maternal Health Change Summit, to be held from August 30 – September 1, 2010 in India.

About The Young Champions Program

Strong mothers enable children, families, communities and economies to grow and thrive. Yet there are over 500,000 maternal deaths every year, and millions more suffer from preventable disabilities. The causes of these tragedies are many, but most causes are rooted in the unequal social and economic status of women.

Ashoka and the Maternal Health Task Force are partnering to create an innovative new program that transforms the field of maternal health globally. The Young Champions of Maternal Health Program will use the Changemakers online platform to identify 16 young leaders – called Young Champions – from around the world that will spend nine months working abroad on a maternal health project while being mentored by a seasoned Ashoka Fellow in the field of maternal health.

2010 Young Champions of Maternal Health Program Structure

Sixteen Young Champions will be chosen to spend a nine (9) months abroad working on a maternal health project, each mentored by an established Ashoka Fellow and his or her organization working in the field of maternal health. The Ashoka Fellows and their staff will design projects for the Young Champions that complement and build upon the proposed project of their application. Young Champions will assist and work under the tutelage of the Ashoka Fellow as they apply their new skills to developing their own project.

The nine month mentorship will take place in a different country from the Young Champion’s country of residence.  All living accommodations, transport, visas, insurance and other incidentals will be covered by the program.  A monthly stipend will also be provided in accordance to the prevailing wage rates of the country in which the Young Champion will reside.

Guidelines and Criteria

 Please read through the full “Young Champions Guidelines and Criteria” at www.changemakers.com/maternalhealth located under “Competition Information”. All young professionals are welcome to apply, whether they have an existing maternal health project or a new project proposal that is still in the idea stage.

For more information, or to enter your idea, visit www.changemakers.com/maternalhealth by March 17th. Also visit http://www.changemakers.com/maternalhealth/prizes for more details on maternal health program opportunities.

Please direct all inquiries to [email protected] with “maternal health” in the subject line.