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Pathfinder began as the vision of Dr. Clarence Gamble. While the story of Pathfinder relies on the progress in the family planning field made by many different people and organizations, Gamble was the classic pathfinder—finding innovative ways to bring family planning to millions around the world in spite of economic, cultural, and political barriers. He put his energy, persistence, and a substantial part of his wealth behind his conviction that contraceptives be available globally. Gamble funded his first project in 1929—a seed grant to start a maternal and child health clinic in Cincinnati. By the time that Pathfinder was incorporated in 1957, Gamble and his field workers had launched family planning clinics in 40 US cities in 14 states and had initiated work in nearly 20 countries. These early international partnerships have become the foundation of our work today. By 1966, Pathfinder had sent representatives to work in 65 countries and helped local people form 30 national family planning associations.
Today, Pathfinder International is a global leader in providing women and families with access to contraception and quality reproductive health care. Throughout our history, we’ve worked in more than 100 countries—in remote locations, under the most difficult conditions, serving the most vulnerable people. We collaborate with governments, NGOs, and community- and faith-based organizations to make contraception available and provide the quality of care needed to ensure safe childbirth and healthy families. We support individuals and communities to extend and defend their rights to reproductive health care in the face of restrictive laws, repressive governments, and harmful traditional beliefs. Pathfinder’s pioneering work has truly changed lives throughout the developing world by giving people greater access to quality reproductive health services.
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