Inspired by tragedy to become midwife

If there is anyone whose destiny was shaped by tragic incidents then it is Grace Anena. Anena is a Senior Nursing Officer in charge of midwives in the office of Gulu District Health Officer (DHO). But the rise to her now revered profession was punctuated by nothing less than tragedy.
Back in 1988 aged 19, Anena was in Senior One at St Mary’s College, Aboke, when rebels of the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) ambushed the school. “It was around 6am when we heard gunshots. We decided we should run; God would help us as we run. I picked my books and put them in a drawer, and together with other girls ran out of our dormitory.”
That impetuous run would lead the girls into an unknown place in a very awkward situation. “We ran through cassava and banana plantations until we settled somewhere in a swamp. Only then did we realise we were in night dresses.”

Orphaned and helpless
They later nevertheless walked to Lira Town where they were taken care of at Lira Catholic Mission Centre which was a health centre. Some girls, including Anena, were reunited with their families. After a few months when security was guaranteed, she returned to the school. She completed Senior Four in 1993 and returned to the centre. Anena was an orphaned girl with only a father who was unable to take care of her.
In 1979, Anena’s mother suffered the cruellest form of death a mother can ever have, dying in labour. “She died of over bleeding after delivery at Mulago National Referral Hospital,” recalls Anena with a frown. “She started bleeding after delivery. It was in the night and my father was asked to go buy medicine to contain the situation. An Acholi man went out to the drug shops but everybody was speaking Luganda which he did not understand. He was also not familiar with Mulago hospital so he lost his way within the hospital. Later, the hospital guard helped him locate the ward but on returning he found my mother dead.”
That incident inspired Anena to pursue midwifery so that she could save mothers in labour. But that was not to happen any time soon.

Journey to midwifery
So did she dare go to the maternity section of the mission centre to pursue her dream? Yes. Practising midwifery? Not as yet. “I admired a midwife working there and I was always close to her to see what she did. I asked her to let me clean the labour ward. She accepted.”
While cleaning the ward, Anena met an Italian nun who worked at Kalongo School of Nursing and Midwifery. Was that her breakthrough, finally? “No, I went and did casual work. I was paid Shs200,000 a month as a casual worker cleaning the surgical ward. I used my salary to support my two young brothers. Being the oldest, I had to take care of them. Meanwhile, I told my supervisor that I did not want to work in surgery but maternity ward because my dream was midwifery. My supervisor in turn talked to the in-charge of maternity and I was accepted.”

Living her dream
Four months after being allowed to clean the maternity ward, an opportunity for intake of midwife students knocked on Anena’s door. She was considered for training because the nuns at the school knew she was an orphan. In 1994, Anena enrolled at Kalongo School of Nursing and Midwifery, graduating with a certificate in midwifery in 1996. She worked in the children’s ward at Kalongo Hospital before enrolling and qualifying as a registered midwife in 1999.
Today Anena is the Senior Nursing Officer in-charge of maternity. She coordinates maternal health, immunisation and nutrition programmes with non-government partner agencies such as United Nations Population agency (UNFPA) in the district. On Tuesday May 5 as Uganda and the world celebrated the International Day of Midwife, Anena called for recognition of the role of midwives in society. “Midwives play an amazing role but we are not recognised as should be,” she remarked.

When Anena refused to abort

“I separated with my husband because when I conceived, he wanted a boy. When we went for a scan and found out it was a girl, he asked me to abort. Can you imagine at six months? I asked him, do you want me to die? My mother died of over bleeding; abortion will lead me to bleed to death yet I’m the only girl in my family. I insisted on carrying the pregnancy. My family and friends encouraged and supported me not to abort. Today I have a beautiful girl. She is now in Senior Three.”

Career path
1999-2000: Becomes in-charge maternity ward, Lacor Hospital
2001-2004: Works as Nursing Officer Awachi Health Centre IV
2005: Attains certificate in nutrition at Kyambogo University
2005: is in-charge maternity ward and later senior nursing officer in charge of nutrition at Lalogi Health Centre IV
2006: Appointed in-charge of maternal health-general in the office of Gulu DHO and later became Senior Nursing Officer and in-charge of maternity responsible for immunisation and nutrition