Grace Ebun Delano facts for kids

Grace Ebun Delano was born on November 13, 1935, in Kaduna, Nigeria. She is a dedicated nurse and midwife who has done amazing work in Nigeria. She helped start and lead programs that teach people about family health and planning.

Grace Delano also helped create the Association for Reproductive and Family Health (ARFH). She was a director there for many years. She has advised many organizations across Africa. She also wrote many books and articles about women's health. In 1993, she received the World Health Organization Sasakawa Award for her important work in health.

Early Life and School

Grace Ebun-Oluwa Samuel was born in Kaduna. Her parents were from the Yoruba group. Her name, Ebun-Oluwa, means "gift from God" in Yoruba. She was a surprise baby for her mother, who was 44 years old. Grace grew up knowing her mother had faced challenges with pregnancies.

Her mother, who did not have much schooling, really wanted Grace to get an education. When Grace was thirteen, she went to school in Lagos. Before that, she attended United Native African School in Kaduna from 1940 to 1944. In 1945, she moved to Government School in Kaduna, which was an all-boys school. Grace was one of the first two girls allowed into that school.

Grace won a scholarship that helped her go to better schools. She finished her studies at Abeokuta Grammar School. In 1956, with help from her family, Grace traveled to England. She trained there for three years to become a nurse. After that, she studied to be a midwife and then a district nurse. During this time, she met women who wanted help to plan their families. .....

Grace Delano returned to Nigeria in 1961. The next year, she started working at the maternity unit of University College Hospital, Ibadan. She was married to Tunde Delano, who later became a judge.

Her Work in Health

Grace's work as a maternity nurse led her to join a special project. This project was started by a professor at Ibadan University. Grace became the head nurse for Nigeria's first university hospital program for family planning.

Over time, this program grew a lot. It started in cities and then reached rural areas. It also moved from being only in hospitals to helping people in their communities. This included giving out health supplies in traditional markets. Grace's work also took her abroad. She went to the US for training and later advised many other African countries. Many international groups, like USAID, Pathfinder International, and the Ford Foundation, helped fund her work.

Grace wrote a simple book about family planning. The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) paid to print this book in five different languages. She wrote several other books and many articles about health. UNFPA also supported her guide for doctors on the IUCD, a device used for family planning.

In the 1980s, Grace worked with the Center for Development and Population Activities (CEDPA). This group helped train women leaders, especially in health and education. It is now part of Plan USA. Grace became more confident in public speaking. She went to conferences, met other women leaders, and planned ways to help women with their health.

While still working at Ibadan University (she left in 1992), Grace started working with community groups. They wanted to create a new NGO (non-governmental organization). This became the Association for Reproductive and Family Health (ARFH). ..... They also worked with the government on HIV/AIDS projects. ARFH's educational materials are used in many African countries. Professor O.A. Ladipo was a key partner in this work and is the president of ARFH. Grace was the vice-president and director for over 25 years. In November 2015, around her 80th birthday, there was a special event to honor her retirement. Grace has published nine research works that are available online.

People often describe her as a "veteran reproductive health leader in Nigeria." They also call her a "veteran Nurse/Midwife with an outstanding career in Reproductive Health and Family Planning management spanning over 50 years."

Awards and Roles

Grace Ebun Delano has held many important positions and received several awards:

• Chief Executive and Vice President of the Nigerian Association for Reproductive and Family Health (ARFH).
• World Health Organization Sasakawa Award in 1993.
• Award of Excellence for her great help to the Nigerian Urban Reproductive Health Initiative (NURHI). This project helped more people in six cities use modern family planning methods.
• Consultant on family health to many groups in Nigeria and other African countries.
• Country Co-ordinator for Johns Hopkins School of Public Health - Communication Programs.
• Fellow of the West African College of Nursing.
• Fellow of Institute for Humanitarian Studies and Social Development.
• Secretary General for the Professional Association of Midwives of Nigeria.
• Award by the Society for Obstetrician and Gynecologists.