Women Health Volunteers

AMAR’s Women Health Volunteers programme is an instrumental part of our health service delivery. Local women are trained to conduct regular home visits and deliver education, advice and basic care directly into the community. Women are ideal for this role; they have primary responsibility for the health of the family and the sanitary conditions of the household. Furthermore, AMAR’s experience has shown that the volunteers are able to use existing societal networks to successfully gain access to families in a way traditional medical services are unable to achieve.

Besides health promotion and education, Women Health Volunteers strengthen community participation by developing collaborative relationships with the community in solving health-related problems and fostering trust between providers and patients. The programme empowers women by providing a monthly stipend to encourage and reward participation, creates a link between female education and income generation, and brings funds into local households.

The training and activities of the Women Health Volunteers is closely tied to AMAR’s continuous professional development programme for doctors, nurses and other health professionals, which aims to build capacity in an inherently sustainable way so in the event funding is withdrawn, a legacy of people with enhanced capacity remains.

“After I left school I remained in the house, just like a prisoner. I had believed that I would never win the chance of a job that makes me seen by other people. Now, after working as a Women Health Volunteer and transmitting health education messages to my neighbourhood, I feel I am useful and important. I have succeeded, to some degree, in convincing them to follow health practices. I am very proud in this role.”

– Women Health Volunteer

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