Memory’s Hope for Her Pregnancy
“I am no longer worried about losing another pregnancy due to malaria. I am now excited and encouraged to go through this pregnancy and have a healthy baby.” These are the words of 22-year-old Memory Mutale, a pregnant woman in Northern Zambia.
Memory is a happily married mother of one who lives with her husband, a carpenter, 3-year-old daughter Monica and her 2 step-children, ages 3 and 4. They live in a swampy area called Kawambwa in the Chama Area Development Program (ADP). The young mother spends most of her time making fritters to sell to help meet her family’s daily needs.
Until recently, Memory hardly knew the joy of being an expectant mother. This is because of her past experience with the deadly disease, malaria, which has claimed many lives in her area. “I live in an area that is heavily infested with mosquitoes and prone to malaria. We have been suffering a lot as result of this disease,” she says.
Two years ago, Memory was attacked by malaria while pregnant with her second pregnancy, an experience she would not wish on anyone. “I got malaria when I was four months pregnant. It was a terrible feeling. I was feverish and very weak with a severe headache all the time,” recalls Memory.
As though this was not enough, Memory went through an even more painful experience as a result of the malaria. “After testing positive for malaria at the clinic, I was immediately put on quinine treatment and placed under observation. Unfortunately, just a few days after finishing my medication, I bled continuously and eventually lost my baby,” explains the sad mother.
Losing a pregnancy was such a painful ordeal for Memory. She adds, “I fell ill sometime last year and went to the clinic for treatment. While at the clinic, I discovered that I was pregnant again.
I was very sad when I received this news. I was so scared of going through another pregnancy because of my past experience with malaria, which I didn’t want.” Memory did not even have the strength to walk back home after learning that she was pregnant. She says, “I could only regain my strength after a few hours.”
She knew that her area was infested with mosquitoes and there was a very slim chance of her going through this pregnancy without getting malaria and probably have a miscarriage again. She was miserable and always worried to a point that she could not do a lot of things with any peace of mind. “I was always thinking and could not eat rest or sleep well because of constant thoughts and nightmares of having ma-laria again,” she says.
This went on for some time until recently when relief and hope came her way. Thanks to World Vision, the staff provided new mosquito nets to the health center nearest to her community. “One day, I decided to attend antenatal classes where I did not only get an extensive education on malaria and its prevention, but also received an Insecticide Treated Net (ITN) from World Vision,” Memory explains.
“From this day on, I have been sleeping under the net and have since experienced a malaria free pregnancy. Now I am nine months pregnant. My worries are no more. For this, I am very thankful to World Vision for bringing a new turn to my life,” Memory says as she beams.
“I am now a different person. My sadness is gone. Am excited about being pregnant and looking forward to having a healthy baby,” she says as she smiles again. “Thank you World Vision for giving us nets and also for working together with the clinic to ensure that all pregnant women like me have both the knowledge and means to prevent ourselves from malaria. God bless you,” Memory adds.