Jackline
K (30 years) is married with four children. She lives in Kagarama Village,
Kagarama Parish, Kabingo Sub County – Isingiro District. According to Jackline
antenatal care was never her “thing”,
all her three children were delivered without any prior antenatal education,
care or advice. She actually never thought it was important or necessary to
attend antenatal let alone know that it is her right to get medical care and
treatment until her fourth pregnancy when she attended a community maternal
health rights meeting that was organized by a Maternal Health Promoter and VHT
Parish Coordinator (Ms Nuwagira Roset) in her village (Kagarama).
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Jackline sharing her joy
during one of the maternal health meetings
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“I used not to go to the health centre for
antenatal care services, for i never took them serious until i got knowledge
from the maternal health rights meeting. After the meeting i decided to visit
Ntungu HCII in Nyakitunda Sub County but to my suprise i was referred to
Kabuyanda HCIV because my pregnancy seemed to show some complications. It is
then that i was made to realize the importance of medical checkups, Jackie
narrates. She adds “had i not delivered
from the Health Centre, I don’t think that I would be alive today because my
baby was not positioned well and they had to operate me to save my life and
that of my baby. As if this is not
enough at delivery my baby got a dislocation of the leg but with constant
monitoring from the Health workers, he has improved and we are both in good
health …” She continues; “I thank our Parish Health Educator and
Mayanja Memorial Hospital Foundation for having thought about us and brought
this project…”
Having benefited from this project Jackline now spearheads
the promotion of maternal health rights
in her village, and although she was not among the maternal health rights
promoters who were oriented on this job and does not get a pay Jackline is
happy to be a maternal health rights crusader. Her testimony has inspired many
mothers to attend maternal health rights meetings and antenatal care. “Having witnessed how much the information i
got helped me, i’ve since then embarked on sharing with my family, friends and
the community on maternal health rights. And i am glad that many mothers have accepted
to go for health services….”
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| Jackline looking and smiling at her bundle of joy |
Jackline’s experience and zeal for promotion of maternal
health rights has also earned her trust and audience among health workers in
her sub county. For example Jackline shared that during one of her routine
immunization trips to Kyabinunga Health Centre II, the Nurse on duty requested her
to share her experience and also educate the other mothers who had come for
immunization about maternal health rights.
Similarly the community and the leaders are grateful for Jackline’s
efforts “We have learnt so much from this
project through Jackline and we have utilised the information by accessing
health facilities for the different health services” thus noted a group of
mothers in Kagarama Parish. At the
last Sub County based lobby meeting, Jackline was thanked by the leadership for
having dedicated her time to the project and for being an exemplary beneficiary.
Clearly the project has facilitated positive change in
the community. Mothers are now aware of their maternal health rights and
responsibilities, which are being seen to save lives and restore hope to the
rural mothers.
