Alibaba-backed Charitable Program Benefits 630K Women of Reproductive Age in Four Years

On the occasion of Mother’s Day, members from Alibaba Foundation and Amity Foundation, a public fundraising charity, visited Guizhou province to meet with families who have benefited from “Sprouts on Earth” program.

Initiated in 2018, the program aims to maternal and child health care in remote and rural regions of China and has since helped approximately 630,000 women of reproductive age from 15 counties across seven provinces.

Mrs. Ku, a 42-year-old woman residing in poverty-stricken Leishan county of Guizhou province, was diagnosed with O RhD negative blood and placenta previa. During her pregnancy with the second child, Ku was identified as one of the first batch of beneficiaries of the program in her county. She underwent a successful cesarean section thanks to timely intervention by the program team.

Mrs. Yang and her husband, both blind, were also among the beneficiaries. Due to economic and knowledge limitations, they had not received any formal prenatal check-ups before being found by a village doctor. The program provided Mrs. Yang with education on healthy childbirth, as well as maternity kits and nutritional supplements, along with multiple nutritional management services.

Thanks to the program, out of over 130 village doctors in Leishan county, 120 have equipped a complete set of medical tools, including thermometers, electronic scales and electronic blood pressure monitors.

According to Wang Rongjiang, the director of obstetrics department at Leishan County People’s Hospital, 500 out of over 1300 mothers and their new-borns in the county last year have benefited from the program. Wang thanked the program for facilitating four transformations: encouraging villagers to give birth in hospitals, making prenatal check-ups mandatory, ensuring children receive routine check-ups and promoting regular vaccination.

SEE ALSO: Alibaba to Donate $18.4M to Equip Chinese Villages With Oximeters

Since its launch, the “Sprouts on Earth” program has quickly raised funds through the Alibaba Foundation’s “Goods for Good” program, attracting a significant number of merchants. As of December 2022, over 800,000 merchants have made contributions, with a total fund amount exceeding 56 million yuan ($8 million), effectively improving the health and childbirth awareness of the impoverished population.