In 2015, Hope Through Health’s Maternal and Child Health program has treated over 7,000 children under age 5 and over 1200 pregnant and postpartum women at our five clinic sites and at their homes. Here are some of their stories and what they have to say about the program.
YVETTE
Yvette is 24 years old and has two children. She lives with her husband in a small village. Recently Yvette noticed that her daughter was hot to the touch and was vomiting everything Yvette gave her to eat. She knew about HTH’s program because of a community meeting, so she called her village Community Health Worker, Afi, and asked her to come visit Yvette’s daughter. Afi came the same day and consulted the young child. She treated her for malaria and referred to the health center to treat the vomiting. “My daughter was very well taken care of both by Afi and the nurse at the health clinic,” Yvette says. “Now she is very healthy.”
Yvette already sees changes in her village thanks to the MCH program. “Kids don’t get sick over and over again everyday, because we treat them with proper medicine that is effective and safe”. Yvette is four months pregnant with her third child. She recently went to the health center for her first prenatal consultation. With Afi’s help, Yvette is detailing a birth plan. “I’ve decided that this time, I want to deliver in the health center,” she proclaims with a smile.
BRIGITTE
Brigitte is 23 years old and lives in a small village with her parents and her 1-year-old daughter Julienne. She is a tailor, making dresses and other outfits for women in her community. The first week in September Julienne fell ill. Brigitte carried Julienne to Afi’s house, a current HTH community health worker in her village. Afi consulted the child, treated what she could and sent Brigitte to the health center to receive further care from
the nurse. Brigitte was very satisfied with Afi’s work as well as the health center staff. “Things aren’t like they used to be,” Brigitte says about her village since the MCH program started. “People are thinking differently about the health of their children”.
MARTINE
Martine is 27 years old and has two children. She lives with her parents, husband and children in a small village. Early in September 2015, Martine’s younger daughter got sick. She had noticed Afi, the Community Health Worker, circulating in her community and was aware that she was trained to treat sick children. She called Afi to her house where Afi diagnosed Martine’s daughter with malaria. She treated with anti-malarials and a fever reducer. The child’s health improved quickly and now she can be found playing energetically with her older brother. “Afi’s work was professional and effective,” Martine explains. “And I did not pay for one thing. This is the biggest change for healthcare in Kpesside. Before, you were forced to pay large sums even before arriving at the health center. Now we are not afraid to make health a top priority.”
BERTHE
Berthe is 22 years old and lives in a small village with her mother, her husband and their two-year-old daughter Emé. In August, Emé was sick and instead of going to the family’s traditional healer, Berthe called Afi, a community health worker. Afi treated the child and in a matter of days, Emé had regained her health. “HTH’s program is changing people’s behavior in Kpesside,” Berthe says. “People are used to first seeking care from traditional healers. Now that Afi works in our village, we go to her instead”.
AMA
Ama is 50 years old and has lived in a small village her entire life. As a young mother Ama would leave her children that could walk at home with their grandmother and take the youngest on her back to work in the fields. She and her husband grow rice, corn and sorghum. Now it is Ama’s turn to stay at home and take care of her granddaughter while her daughter in law works in the field. One day in August, Ama’s granddaughter had a high fever and was lethargic. Ama went to the market and bought a few products to give the child. After a few days the child only got sicker, so she called Afi, the HTH Community Health Worker. Ama says that she attended a community meeting back in June explaining HTH’s maternal and child health program, and that she had noticed Afi circulating in the community. She sent a neighbor to find Afi and bring her to her house. Afi consulted the child and diagnosed malaria. She provided a fever reducer and anti-malarial and also referred the child to the health clinic for anemia. Ama brought the child to the health center the next day where she was welcomed warmly and received free services. The child is now healthy as ever, which Ama attributes to HTH’s program.
At Hope Through Health, we continue to strive towards expanding our health services to women and children through this program. Our hope is to create similar stories of health and security throughout the populations that we serve.