Health centre will provide care for 15,000 in Mozambique
The little Odete hadn´t so far seen her dream get closer and closer to her as if she could grab it with her hands, since the first stone for the construction of a health centre was launched, in southern Gaza province in Mozambique.
The young Odete is 14 years old, in grade 7, and she dreams of nothing else, but to be a doctor, to help treat her grandmother, who has been taking care of her since she can remember, together with her cousins.
The centre is expected to benefit 15,000 people not only from Chizavane village, where Odete lives, but others from surrounding neighbourhoods.
“I am very happy that we are going to have a health centre close to us, my wish is to work here one day,” said Odete.
Odete witnessed the launch of the first stone, accompanied by her cousins and her friends, who demonstrated their happiness, singing and dancing the local song which basically says ‘what a day to remember’.
“I lost my father, and my mother got married again, all my life I have been living with my grandmother. When I am grown, I want to be a doctor then, my family, friends and neighbours will be treated by me,” says Odete, kneeling at the first stone laid, ahead of the construction of a health centre not more than 200 meters from her house.
Such a dream is easy to understand, when the current exercise Odete, her grandmother and cousins are forced to do, to access the nearest health centre when they are sick.
“We have to go to the main village in Nhamavila or to Incadine… that is at least 15 kilometres from where I live… transport is not easy around here, when sick is quite worse,” said Odete, speaking as if she could forward the time and have the health centre ready, before she and her family members can get sick again.
To fulfil her dream, Odete is expected to go at least 7 more years studying, when she can have a degree in nursing, before 6 to 7 additional years to become a doctor. When told about that, the teen girl sees the time as an opportunity to study more to make sure she fails no class, and fulfil her dream.
On the other hand, Odete is expected to benefit from the Health Centre not later than next year, once the government equips it with medicines and staff, as part of the cooperation between World Vision and government authorities.
The new health centre will be located on the main road, and just like Odete, many other children together with their parents are expected to benefit from the services that have been long anticipated, once the information that World Vision intended to install a Health centre in the village was received.
“We hardly believe we made it to this day, for long we have been waiting for it, if we are happy this way today, when we are just launching the first stone, we can´t wait until the health centre is finished for a real celebration,” said a community representative.
The under construction health Center is of type II category which means it is composed of a block of rooms for consultation, a maternity room, and should have a house for the nurse. It will be for treating diseases such as malaria, diarrhea, and acute respiratory infections.
It will help bring down the number of deaths caused by home deliveries and contribute significantly to protect children from getting infected with HIV/AIDs since pregnant women will be able to follow treatment to avoid infection from mother to child.
The construction of the health centre has participation of a congregation of famers association from Chizavane who got funding from the US government.
Government authorities require a minimum of 7 km from one health centre to the next, and a population between 7,500 to 20,000 to benefit.
The centre is expected to benefit 15,000 people not only from Chizavane village (Odete´s village), but also from other surrounding neighbourhoods, alleviating other health centres in other villages currently serving more than their capacity.
Health Assistant, Orpa Moisés, from Ukane Area Development Program in Mandlakazi district, an area funded by Switzerland, said that malaria stands among the major concerns in the area.
“World Vision Mozambique through is health programs has been holding campaigns for overall prevention against diseases, community members are today much more informed than yesterday, about the importance of keeping their environments clean, use properly mosquito nets and seek for health care in the first symptoms of illness,” said Orpa.
As for malaria prevention, World Vision Mozambique is running a massive project funded by the Global Fund, to bring down malaria, providing mosquito nets and advocating for behaviour change of the community towards one of the country top killer diseases, malaria.