Dear Mother Jones Reader,

My name is Ifeoma Onyekachi.  Everyone calls me Ify.  It’s 7:00 in the morning in Nigeria, and I’m packing the car. 

I’m a nurse with MSI, and today I’m heading to a community where women are waiting for contraception. I’m checking that we have everything we need before we leave: medical supplies, equipment and our “choice kit.” 

The trip won’t be easy. The drive is two hours and a lot of it will be on muddy roads with huge potholes.  We’ve gotten stuck before and had to dig ourselves out. 

I don’t mind the journey, because when we arrive, people will welcome us with singing, drumming and dancing. We set up chairs outside a public health facility that doesn’t have the staff or supplies to offer women the contraceptive choices they want. 

So we bring them.  

I make these difficult journeys because I’ve seen what happens when women don’t have a choice. I’ve seen women having far more children than they wanted or could afford. I want something different for them. I want women to be able to decide what their futures look like. 

I don’t do this alone. 

A monthly gift to MSI helps make these journeys possible, for me, and for healthcare providers like me around the world. 

Together, we can reach women who might otherwise be left without care. 

I hope you’ll come with us. 

With gratitude, 
Ify