Bakhtar Development Network

Improving Family Planning Services

Location:  Khedir CHC+
Name of CHW:  Simin 
Village: Shah Ahmad Korgha

Simin  is one of the CHWs  in Shah Ahmad Korgha village of Khedir district related to the Khedir CHC+ of  Daikundi province. She has been working as CHW since the completion of the CHW training in 2007. Simin has been active in helping people benefiting from health service delivery in her village, which encompassed of 148 families.  She is a hardworking person and played a key role in relationship and linkage of the community and health facility. Throughout of her work as CHW she has treated many simple diseases and has a very high referral cases to the HF. Moreover she has conducted many health education sessions for men and women within the village on various health issues of family planning, healthy environment, pregnancy and etc.

The hardworking, honesty and self-motivation in bringing positive changes in the lifestyle of the villagers made Simin one of the most trustful and competent persons among the community.

As the community in Daikundi has been left behind from new technologies, most of communities are not aware of new improvements and possibilities especially in health related issues. Isolation and lack of awareness about the safe health styles made Simin face some problem at the time of conducting sessions particularly in regard to family planning.

Simin realized that the most essential factor to decrease maternal mortality and have a better heath for women of childbearing age and children is introduction and use of family planning methods by the community members. Though she faced difficulties in convincing the people to use FP methods she continued her efforts with complete determination and courage. She persisted with giving health education sessions. After long period of time she succeeded to convince the community to benefit from new FP methods and bring a positive change in their living conditions.

Nowadays most of the couples who want to practice birth spacing are using contraceptives in the village where Simin is living. Considering the above fact, Simin was the first CHW who has brought a major change in health conditions of her people particularly in maternal and children mortality and morbidity rate through enhancing the FP users in the community.

Khedir CHC+ in charge and CHS expressed their satisfaction from Simin for her great performance and achievements and introduced her to clinic staff and other CHWs as the only CHW in increasing the FP clients in her area.

Improving Disposal System in the Village

Location:  Eskan DH
Name of CHW:  Gul Andam
Village: Sarqul Porji

Gul Andam is a CHW in Sarqul Porji village in the neighborhood of Eskan DH in Daikundi province. She started her work as CHW with her companion Abdul Azim in 2007 at the time they completed their third phase of training. They have been active throughout the period of their work delivering health services to the 140 families of the village. The role of Gul Andam and her companion, as CHW in linkage with HF and raising the community awareness have been outstanding. During her work, Gul Andam helped her people to meet the most health needs through treating simple disease, referring the patients to HF and conducting health education sessions on hygiene situation, water sanitation and sanitary techniques, FP, safe pregnancy and seasonal disease. This has changed the idea of people towards CHWs and nowadays Gul Andam is a trustful health worker in the community.

As the community in Sarqul Porji village did not have a proper disposal system and people used a system of waste disposal tending to contamination, particularly of water and food, that created many health problems in the area; such as water born diseases. In addition the knowledge level of the villagers was low at extent that does not accept anyone's directions regarding health and lifestyle. Gul Andam felt that this is one of her major responsibilities to change people's lifestyle, behavior and convince them to have a proper disposal system.

The first step toward this started with the fact of conducting health education sessions regarding hygiene, sanitation and save disposal system within the village. The two CHWs provided health education that did not offend the cultural believes of the community but explained the high benefits of save disposal system to the people of their village including men and women. At the beginning they faced much resistance from their village fellows. The major excuse was presented as poverty of the community and no ways of income to build proper latrines. Then the community started expecting the NGOs to contribute towards building proper waste disposal system in the village (reasoning if it is important and vital enough why organizations do not build it).

The continues efforts of Gul Andam and her companion and long discussions gradually convinced the people in having a proper disposal system in the village and consequently people started to build save latrines in their houses.

Nowadays all the houses in the village are having save latrines and disposal system that has dramatically changed the life and health status of the community.

Considering the fact Gul Andam was the first person who brought a major change in health condition of her people through shifting them towards standardized living conditions and encouraged them to benefit from fullest potential of health.

Eskan DH staff particularly it's in-charge dedicated an appreciation letter to Gul Andam and Abdul Azim for their excellent performance and achievements in health and living conditions of the people. They were introduced to all health staff as well as other CHWs as the top health workers and were encouraged to continue their efforts in bringing change to living environment and health status of the people.