Mitchell Matarause welcomes a second child born under candle light in a clinic in Zimbabwe's capital Harare due to a lack of electricity.

One day in September, Matarause went into labor and was taken to the Mufakose Polyclinic clinic in Harare. When it got dark, the whole room suddenly became dark due to a power outage.

"I was born at night and the electricity was cut off so they had to light candles to help me give birth to me," the 26-year-old mother shared about the birth of her second child.

Matarause recounted that when there was only one candle in the room, the midwives had to use a flashlight to see more clearly. One of them began giving birth to her, while the other held a flashlight and candles around.

"At that time, I could only pray without any complications because I was afraid that something bad might happen. When everything went smoothly, I would dare to breathe a sigh of relief," Matarause said, fearing that day.

Not only Matarause, many Zimbabwean women said they had to give birth in the weak light of candles, flashlights, even telephone lights because of lack of electricity.

Earlier this year, the Zimbabwe Power Supply Authority (ZESA) announced a rotating power cut when the water level of Lake Kariba, the main source of power for the hydroelectric plant, plummeted. Most hospitals and health facilities in suburban and rural areas in Zimbabwe are on the list of blackouts, except for large hospitals in the capital Harare such as Harare City Center Hospital and Hospitals. Parirenyatwa.

A midwife at the Mufakose Polyclinic clinic said they often asked pregnant women to bring a flashlight when they came here to give birth.

Most women in this African nation choose to give birth at small clinics, with basic equipment but at a low cost, only 200 Zimbabwean dollars (about $ 0.5) per case. born.

The Zimbabwe Population and Health Survey is concerned that low-light births may increase maternal mortality because of possible complications. The agency estimates there are 651 deaths out of 100,000 births each year in Zimbabwe.

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) describes a high "unacceptable" rate of maternal mortality in Zimbabwe, despite signs of declining in the last 5-10 years.

In response to the power cut, some hospitals and clinics have used gasoline-powered generators for patients to give birth. However, the cost of using these generators is beyond the affordability of many families in Zimbabwe, because gasoline prices here are extremely expensive, about 16-17 dollars to Zimbabwe.

At Chiredzi Hospital, a state-run medical facility nearly 500 km southeast of Harare, doctors have to find a way to manage themselves when local governments cannot buy fuel to run generators.

"In surgeries that require surgery or an emergency, having no electricity is a really bad thing," said Dr. David Tarumbwa of Chiredzi Hospital.

Emmanuel Mahlangu, president of the Zimbabwe Midwives Federation, said for night-time or surgical surgeries, the primary requirement is light.

"A complicated birth may require the use of a machine to resuscitate a baby, or a pregnant woman in an emergency, as well as need light to be able to perform surgery," said Mahlangu.

However, this problem is gradually being solved and probably not too long, women like Mitchell Matarause will no longer have to experience childbirth under candlelight, when a non-governmental organization based in California (USA). ) We Care Solar is working with the local non-governmental organization, ZimEnergy Eco Foundation, to install solar power systems at clinics and hospitals in Zimbabwe.

Launched in 2010, the "solar suitcase" can provide light and help physicians monitor fetuses. Currently 4,000 medical centers in Africa and Asia are equipped with this new technology.

Particularly in Zimbabwe, We Care Solar has supported 136 health facilities in Eastern Matabeleland, South Matabeleland and Masvingo to use solar suitcases since 2016, and look forward to further expanding the scope of the project.

"We aim to install solar systems at a total of 1,000 health facilities in this African country," said Shamiso Moyo, project manager of We Care Solar in Zimbabwe.

Emmanuel Mahlangu, chairman of the Zimbabwean Midwives Federation, is optimistic that this project will open a brighter future for women in Zimbabwe and in many other poor countries around the world, when no one else has to give birth the child under the candle light.