Vessel Is Me is a Ugandan non-profit organization dedicated to improving care for families who have experienced pregnancy loss, neonatal deaths and couples dealing with infertility. We offer peer counseling, professional grief counseling and perinatal bereavement training.
Vessel Is Me is a Ugandan non-profit organization dedicated to improving care for families who have experienced pregnancy loss, neonatal deaths and couples dealing with infertility. We offer peer counseling, professional grief counseling and perinatal bereavement training.

OUR CHALLENGE.
Each year in Uganda, there are approximately 40,000 stillbirths ( babies who die AT or BEFORE 28weeks’ gestation). This number doesn’t include; miscarriages( babies who die BEFORE 28weeks of gestation) because Uganda doesn’t issue death notifications for early pregnancy loss(miscarriages). 1 in 10 couples in Uganda experience fertility challenges (infertility) in their relationships. 1 in 4 women go through pregnancy or baby loss in their life time. 1 in 8 women are affected by reproductive trauma, only 1 in 5 ever receive correct diagnosis.

Vessel is Me was established out of a need in the healthcare system in Uganda to provide bereavement care to identify key actions and behaviors that can ensure that all bereaved families receive high quality care and support following the death of a baby.
The psychological and emotional impact on mothers, couples and their families and society in general is substantial, yet the care received by parents in Uganda is appalling. Parents face many critical decisions following the death of a baby and more support and guidance is needed. This is where Vessel Is Me has come in to shade a bright light of knowledge on issues pertaining to: Maternal Mental health, Perinatal Mental health, Pregnancy Loss, Baby loss, Male and Female infertility.

OUR SOLUTION.
Vessel Is Me has historically opened its network to assist those affected by reproductive traumas, pregnancy loss and baby loss through our Grief Recovery Tools that include; Comfort & Care packages (selfcare plan), therapy tribe (support group), free trauma & grief counselling services. Our mission is to engage a global community of couples dealing with fertility challenges and bereaved parents and their health providers to improve mental health outcomes, while also advancing infertility, pregnancy and baby loss awareness, education and support. In 2019, Vessel is Me reached 150 families by partnering with different medical centers and through our social media platforms. We are educating the public on the healthy habits to deal with reproductive trauma and grief after pregnancy or baby loss.

Long term impact.
Since 2018, Vessel Is Me has provided free maternal mental health services and reproductive trauma & grief counselling to women and couples who have experienced loss. Our mission is to develop a network of skill based perinatal bereavement care in Uganda, capable of responding to both acute and chronic conditions prevalent within society. In 2019, Vessel Is Me expanded efforts to reach other populations across the African continent. We are educating the public on the healthy coping mechanisms after pregnancy loss, baby loss or fertility challenges.

THE 100 4 100 CAMPAIGN.
October is a very significant month in the perinatal loss community, it is the International Pregnancy and Baby Loss Awareness Month. This year we shall be giving back to bereaved parents who have not been given a space, a moment, a period to mourn the death of their babies. We shall be gifting 100 bereaved families both historical (the death happened over 10 years ago) and current (the deaths happened within the last 10 years) with Comfort & Care Packages filled with grief recovery tools to begin the healing journey by creating selfcare plans like: Journaling, lighting a candle in honor of your beloved baby, gaining information on how to walk through the murk of pregnancy loss and baby loss via HOPE brochures & books.

Vessel is Me Comfort and Care package is a beautiful gift for bereaved parents who have experienced the death of their baby, during pregnancy or infancy as well as couples dealing with fertility challenges.
These unique boxes include not only thoughtful items to encourage self-care, compassion and healing but also contain useful information such as brochures, books and journals to help guide them through grief. Each box is comprised of items found most useful to bereaved families as selected by other bereaved families and is hand packed with great care and love.
We hope this will provide a little comfort during an unfathomable time of loss.
Included in the C&C package are:

• Hand crafted soap by Rissa Naturals (Uganda)
• Body scrub & body butter by Kweli Organics / The Shea House(Uganda)
• Aromatherapy candle by Karobwa Scents (Uganda)
• HOPE Journal & HOPE brochures.
• So, What Next? / Pieces of Me/ Still A Mum: Ugandan authored books on how to navigate grief & trauma after loss.

We need your support, to partner and help us raise awareness and promote education around the importance of perinatal bereavement care and improved maternal mental health care after death of a baby or pregnancy loss in Uganda.