CocoLife has been awarded a $100,000 grant from CVS Health to improve Black maternal health outcomes.
CocoLife — a nonprofit founded by Alexia Omega Doumbouya in July 2019 — offers support through maternal health groups, one-on-one doula visits, and 24/7 doula assistance for mothers until they are 12 weeks postpartum, according to information shared with AFROTECH™.
The need to support women in maternal health was inspired by a lived experience.
According to The Philadelphia Citizen, Doumbouya had difficulties following the birth of her daughter in 2011, leading her to experience severe postpartum depression, psychosis, and anxiety.
“I had this baby, and six weeks later I was expected to go back to work. And I just kept thinking How am I supposed to do this,” she explained, per the outlet.
As time went on, she recognized other women had also faced challenges in their pregnancy journeys. This prompted her to become a trained certified doula prior to kickstarting CocoLife, which began as a group for mothers. She then scaled to a nonprofit offering a range of programming led by a team that includes LaKeisha Entsuah (executive director); Ericalynn Cotton (Compassion Project coordinator); and Jamia McKinney (operations assistant).
To date, CocoLife has provided at least 50 doulas with funding and resources in the Philadelphia area. Plus, it’s trained 100 individuals looking to become doulas and assisted 60 families with doula support.
“We believe that having a doula who understands your cultural background is vital to improving maternal health outcomes,” said Doumbouya in a news release. “The disparities in maternal health outcomes are deeply rooted in systemic issues, and our doulas play a critical role in bridging those gaps. By empowering these women with personalized support from professionals who understand their cultural and personal experiences, we can improve not only health outcomes but the overall birthing experience.”
CocoLife also has outreach for fathers and grandparents to foster support for mothers’ wellbeing. In addition, the nonprofit forms relationships with nearby organizations aligned with its mission.
The ultimate goal is to decrease disparities for Black maternal health. A study from the National Institutes of Health showed Black women’s mortality rate is 2.9 times higher in comparison to their white counterparts, proving the need for greater resources to improve maternal outcomes.
