Dawit Tamru heads the school of midwifery at a university hospital in Dire Dawa, Ethiopia. He was inspired to become a midwife when his mother experienced severe difficulties after delivering his younger sister — and midwives saved her life. Ben de la Cruz/NPR hide caption toggle caption Ben de la Cruz/NPR Dawit Tamiru knew he wanted to be a midwife when he was just about 10 years old. It started the day his mother — a street vendor in Ethiopia — gave birth to his younger sister. After the little girl arrived something wasn't right: His mother had not delivered the placenta as typically happens after the birth. He recalls that the traditional birth attendant, who Tamiru says had minimal training, advised his mother that perhaps she was having twins and they should wait to see if another baby came. Tamiru recalls watching his mother bleeding at home and deteriorating. "She was gasping and having difficulty," he remembers. "I was very young. I was very nervous. I didn't know what to do.…