What Keeps Me Motivated

When I gave birth to my daughter, I received a lot of support, health care, and advice from my sister-in-law, a local health worker. When my sister-in-law encouraged me to become a local health worker and to pass along my medical knowledge to the community, I knew it was something that I would want to pursue. Save the Children was looking for more health volunteers and I was very encouraged with the help I received from my sister-in-law. I wanted to share my knowledge and serve the people in my region. Though intensely rewarding, I admit that this work can at times be quite trying. My most challenging task is changing the prevailing attitudes toward health held by mothers in my own village. There are a few mothers who don’t want to listen to me and don’t want to keep up the good practices. My patients do not always understand the importance of my advice regarding proper nutrition and hygiene for their children. That’s why I need to visit them and motivate them again and again. Despite these challenges, I am seeing results and it’s those results that continue to motivate me. When I started out as a local health worker, there were 10 to 12 children who were malnourished in my small village. Today, only one child in my area, 23-month-old Sanjida from West Rajguru, is underweight; she is now on her way towards making a full recovery. The children keep me motivated. I love to see their smiles and to know that I must keep them healthy.