Mbuya Gwena
| Ester Zinyoro Gwena | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Ester Zinyoro Gwena |
| Nationality | Zimbabwean |
| Other names | Mbuya Gwena |
| Occupation | Home Delivery Midwife |
| Known for | Delivering Babies in Mbare During the Doctor's strike |
| Notable work | Delivering over 250 babies at home in 2019 |
Ester Zinyoro Gwena a.k.a Mbuya Gwena is known for helping expecting mothers deliver babies during the heat of the 2019 Doctors' and nurses' strike.
Background
Mbuya Gwena who is a member of St John’s Apostolic Church of the Whole World, is a mother of 13, resides in Mbare in Harare where she uses her 2 roomed flat for home deliveries though she stays a stone throw away from one of Mbare's Polyclinics. Mbuya Gwena says a clegyman, Bishop Mabhiza prophecised [1]that she would help a lot of people.
In her own words Mbuya Gwena the Bishop said hospitals would close and her home would turn into a Maternity Ward.
My Bishop’s prophecy finally came to pass, my house has been turned into a maternity ward. Some years back we were at a church gathering when our Bishop announced my name saying he had a prophecy.He asked me to stand in front of the congregants and said he had dreamt of hospitals shutting down and my house turned into a maternity ward. In his own words, he said, ‘Mai Gwena from Mbare you should have patience, love and tolerance. In a dream, I saw hospitals being closed and women rushing to your house. Your house was turned into a maternity ward. God will guide and see you through.
Delivering Babies At Home
Mbuya Gwena in November headlines for delivering over 100 babies in 1 week when Doctors and Nurses went on strike. Mbuya Gwena reportedly operates from her lounge where furniture is pilled in one corner and the deliveries are done in tents erected in her home. Mbuya Gwena uses cotton wool and a razor blade. [2]
Mbuya Gwena became so famous the first lady visited her at some point because of the work she was doing. [3] Mbuya Gwena was then told that the polyclinics in Mbare had resumed operations and she was asked to start referring her patients to those clinics and close shop[4] after there was an uproar after her home deliveries headlines in Zimbabwe. Doctors condemned the home deliveries which were conducted in not so safe and unhygienic ways as social media photos circulated of the home deliveries with some of the ladies lying naked on plastic mats. [5]
Photo Gallery, Mbuya Gwena's Operational Nest
References
- ↑ The Herald, First Lady visits heroic Mbare Midwife , Published 16 November 2019, Retrieved 17 December 2019
- ↑ Harare Times, Woman deliveries 100 babies in 8 days, Published 15 November 2019, Retrieved 17 December 2019
- ↑ The Herald, First Lady visits heroic Mbare Midwife , Published 16 November 2019, Retrieved 17 December 2019
- ↑ 263 Chat,Mbuya Gwena's Backyard Maternity Center Still Operational, Published 17 December 2019, Retrieved 17 December 2019
- ↑ CITE, Doctors Concerned about unsafe baby deliveries, Published November 2019, Retrieved 17 December 2019
