The leaders of Menyamya district, Morobe Province, have been urged to support their village health volunteers (VHVs).
Officer-in-charge of the Aseki Health Centre, Sister Mathilda Maborai, said their village health volunteers work long hours alone, without pay and without proper equipment and supplies.
The village health volunteers of Menyamya district work in one of the most remote and marginalised areas of Morobe Province.
Sr Maborai said the 12 VHVs of Poiyu village, in the Nanima-Kariba Rural LLG, were trained 15 years ago, and under only one of three modules, which is safe motherhood.
“For Kapao (LLG) we’ve got about 22 of them, mi treinim ol na they were certified,” she said.
“Ol komplitim three modules blo ol so they’re ok. Ol i nid lo wokim in-service tasol na disla kain but for these mothers (Poiyu), ol givim lewa na ol nogat gutpla luksave; my heart is with them.
“Olgeta taim mi save tokim ol, yumi wok lo lewa tasol. Yupla lukim mi, mi save sanap tutak go tulait, em mi save givim lewa. (I always tell them, we work with our hearts only. When you see me stand from night till morning, that’s me giving my heart.)
“Gavman baim mi lo 8 o’clock pinis lo 4 o’clock. So yu gim lewa, God em bai blesim yu.” (The government pays me from 8am to 4pm. So when you give your heart, God will bless you.)
Sr Maborai said on behalf of the village health volunteers, they submitted a number of reports and requests to the Menyamya District Development Authority as well as the LLG office to assist the village birth attendants.
“Requesting for funds to support these mothers, or at least buy buckets or plastik blo putim na ol ken silip ya or by Christmas, no incentives. How many requests mipla givim ya, nogat luksave.”
Sr Maborai urged the leaders of Menyamya to have a heart and help to alleviate some of the burdens faced by their village health volunteers.