Opening Day at the Maternal Center of Excellence
A Milestone for Mothers in Sierra Leone | By Aly Krajewski
There are some days that feel bigger than a spot on the calendar can hold. For our charity partners at Partners In Health Sierra Leone, opening day at the Maternal Center of Excellence (MCOE) on February 14 was one of them. And for all of us at Good Store, it was a powerful reminder of why this work that we do matters.
The Maternal Center of Excellence was built to transform maternal and newborn care in Sierra Leone, a country that has long faced one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world. For too many families, pregnancy has carried unnecessary risk. The MCOE exists to change that story.
Opening day marked the beginning of expanded, high-quality, comprehensive care for women and newborns that is safe, dignified, and grounded in equity. The MCOE brings together surgical services, intensive care, maternal waiting spaces, and training facilities under one roof. It’s designed not only to treat complications, but to anticipate them. Not only to save lives in emergencies, but to strengthen the entire system of care around mothers and babies.
This center also serves as a national training hub, equipping clinicians, midwives, and health workers with the skills and support they need to provide lifesaving care across the country. When one facility improves, it sends ripples outward.
We’ve always believed that everyday purchases can build something extraordinary. When you subscribe to socks. When you stock up on soap. When you refill your tea tin. The profits from Good Store products support work like this: work that expands access to healthcare and invests in long-term systems change.
The opening of the Maternal Center of Excellence is a milestone years in the making. It represents collaboration between local leaders, healthcare workers, government partners, and organizations committed to maternal health equity. And it represents something even more important: a future where giving birth is not a life-threatening event for moms or their babies.
We’re honored to be part of that future, and we’re honored you want to be part of that future, too. Thank you for shopping in a way that builds something bigger.
