Justine is a Community Health Worker in the Kozah district of northern Togo. She lives on the outskirts of a peri-urban community with over 300 families. Justine spends her days walking from house to house monitoring children for common illnesses and checking on pregnant women to make sure they are maintaining a healthy pregnancy. She creates strong relationships with the families and mothers in her community so that she can provide the care that they need. As a mother herself, Justine understands how much mothers care for their children. Four years ago, Justine gave birth to a healthy baby girl on December 31st. However, the health of her child was not always guaranteed.
A few years into her marriage, Justine received a set of life-altering news. Justine not only found out she was pregnant, but also that her husband had left her, and that she was HIV-positive. During one of her prenatal consultations, she was told about the risk that the disease might be passed to her daughter. She also learned that taking the proper medications could greatly reduce that risk. In that moment, Justine was tempted to simply give up. However, she forged on and sought treatment from Integrate Health’s founding partner organization, AED-Lidaw. Justine described how she would look down at her growing baby bump and know that she was all this child had in the world. Justine was determined to get treatment and to ensure the best outcomes for her daughter, no matter what the cost. And that is what Justine did. She began taking her medicine regularly. When it was time for her delivery, she gave birth to a healthy baby girl, without any complications. Justine fed her daughter well and took care of her. When the time came to test her baby for HIV, Justine was relieved to find out that her daughter was HIV-free. While supporting her daughter, Justine heard of a call for Community Health Workers at Integrate Health. This reminded her of when she was young and dreamed about a career in healthcare but did not have the funds to go to university. She saw this opportunity as a moment to live out her dream. She applied and became a member of one of Integrate Health’s first groups of primary healthcare Community Health Workers.
Justine has been walking door to door, treating women and children in her community ever since.
When asked what gave her strength when she was tempted to give up, Justine insisted, “We cannot give up here. If I give up in my job, a child may die. If I give up in motherhood, my child may die. We do what we have to in order to keep going. Life is important; we cannot lose it.” Justine imparts the same wisdom to her daughter, who someday will grow up to know just how inspiring her mother is.
We are so grateful to have Justine, and dozens of other Community Health Workers like her, on our team. If you would like to help Justine and her fellow Community Health Workers to deliver lifesaving care to their neighbors, please contribute here. All donations up to $30,000 will be matched through the end of the year!