Celebrating African Motherhood - Amref

house in Atanga sub-county where a child begun to develop paralysis. He
immediately referred the child to the local health centre, where a specimen
was taken for laboratory tests and sent to Entebbe for analysis. The results
were positive for polio. The child was taken through therapy to exercise the
lower limbs and is now walking.
“I am happy to be making a diff erence in my community. The work that we
do is important because we save lives,” says Apar.
Labul Sabina, 40
I live in Locimidik village in Lawieoduny Parish, Kitgum District. The VHT
members, Philip and Lucy, are very helpful to us. We can always reach them
because they are not far. Look at how healthy the children are. It is because
whenever they fall ill, Philip and Lucy are always there to help. When they
have malaria, the children are given medicine and they do not have to go
to hospital. The nearest health centre is in Madi Opei, which is 12km from
here. It was too far for people to take their children quickly enough when
they fell sick. Malaria and cholera used to give us so many problems. Our
children used to die very easily from these diseases, but not anymore. Help
is so near now.
The big disease [Hepatitis E] which broke out here in 2007 would have killed
so many of us if it was not for the VHTs. I myself was a victim. I fell ill and
I couldn’t tell or even guess what the problem was. I was vomiting and
feeling very weak. I didn’t know what was happening to me. Then the VHTs
advised me to go to the hospital. Even though it is far, I went because they
insisted. They suspected that I had the disease. I now believe that were it
not for them and AMREF, I would not be here today.
Philip and Lucy also taught us the importance of washing our hands and
maintaining cleanliness in our homes to avoid spreading disease. I value
this lesson, and I teach others to do the same.
One of the biggest problems we had was lack of water, but AMREF came
and dug a borehole for us and it has really helped. Now as people return
from the camps we need another borehole and more people like Philip and
Lucy to help our village.
41