Making a Difference

When the women in my village seek out medical attention for their families, sometimes they come to the posyandu, our community health fair. Other times, I must go to them, visiting their children at home. But I couldn’t do either without Save the Children, which gave me the resources that I desperately need to help the children of my village survive past their fifth birthday. As a local health worker, I participate in weekly training exercises and make “house calls” that allow me to track and address the health needs of the children in my community. I also help the women of my community space their births apart at healthy intervals using modern contraception. The children’s health needs grow larger each and every day. The medical issues that I witnessed as a child continue to plague my community and have worsened as the village has become too crowded, with more families struggling to survive. However, health workers like me are making a real difference throughout Indonesia. My dream is that I will be able to change the perceptions of the people in my community who assume – wrongly – that visiting a health worker is expensive. My hope is that all mothers in my area will understand the importance of the posyandu and bring their children for regular visits to keep them safe and healthy.