LMidwives are playing an increasingly important role in Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights in Women’s Lives across the world.

In Rwanda, Midwives are on frontline in Health care providing various Maternal and Newborn Health services from Health centers to referral hospital including private and public health settings.

We approached midwives in various leadership position to make a midwife portrait to honor and celebrate our  noble profession.

Despite the pandemic of coronavirus , the world is celebrating the year 2020 as a year of Nurses and Midwives.

The portrait we are sharing today is the one of a young registered male midwife  , NIYITANGA Virgile Xavier working  at Kigufi Health Center in Rubavu District.

Virgile graduated from the University of Rwanda ,with a particular passion to midwifery profession where he aims to work hard and  contribute  towards ending birth related mortality and morbidity for women and their offspring.

What are your strengths  and how do you  use them in daily life to fullfil his role as a midwife?

My motto in life is  “A live baby for a live mother”

When you believe in what you do and you do it with passion, all goes well. My daily motivation is to see that smile of a mother holding her newborn, to support those who experience losses and help them to grieve.

I believe that with good knowledge ,skills added to compassion and humility you can make a change in so many people’s lives.

which aspect of being a midwife you find the most challenging, and also the most rewarding?

Midwifery is a  great job but yet with  a certain level of stress. This makes that Labor monitoring seems more challenging than anything else. However, the feeling of joy and achievement that surges after a good birth outcome is strong to alleviate all the stress raised by the labour process.

The role of a midwife comes with a considerable amount of pressure and stress. How do you cope with stress of the job?

As I said above, for me the first remedy to that is the feeling of achievement and joy after a successful outcome. Second is the art of being passionate and loving what I do- I feel that it’s my mission for life in some way. Third is having a time for relax after work- a no-job time which helps to cool the mind down and get ready for the next day’ job.

Which advise can you give to the person who wants to become a midwife?

My advice would be to remind that person that it’s not easy but possible and rewarding.

What are your hopes and plans for the future as a young midwife ?

I really want to go back to school and increase my knowledge and skills.Knowledge and skills are the keys to provide quality care.

A word for midwives in various health settings?

To the midwives all around in health facilities, I say “Kudos for the work being done, stay united, together we can do the best for mothers, babies and families”

Thank you!