Rachida Boubacar could have chosen an easier profession. She’s reminded of this fact regularly, often by the very community members she serves.
For more than a decade, Rachida has been a practicing nurse and head of the Maikalgo Health Center in southern Niger. The health center has been supported by your generosity since 2021. The country faces chronic food insecurity and infectious diseases, resulting in some of the highest rates of malnutrition and mortality in the world. Rachida and her team see these issues play out every day in their center.
The work is hard, and often heartbreaking. Rachida is single and lives far from her family and is often misjudged by her community for these reasons. Her patients tell her she would be happier if she got married and moved closer to home.
But Rachida is steadfast in her mission.
"I chose this profession to serve my community and save lives," she says.
She manages a team of seven facility health workers and 19 community health workers for a population of 25,000. Her day-to-day responsibilities include assisting with deliveries and providing essential health services, such as nutrition, family planning, antenatal care and vaccinations.
Because of you, Rachida is making huge strides in her community’s health. With 46 percent of the population living more than the World Health Organization’s recommended 3.2 miles from a health facility with qualified staff, Rashida and her team are filling a critical gap. Your support has also implemented the use of mobile health technology for the clinic, connecting those in need with vital health care despite the distance.
“What encourages me to continue what I am doing are the women of this community,” she says. “They feel at ease talking to me about their personal and health problems, especially when it comes to sensitive health issues. Some women visit me at home, after work hours with their young daughters to confide in me and ask me for contraceptive pills...this strengthens my bond with community members."
On this International Nurse’s Day — and every day — we celebrate life savers like Rachida, who despite the challenges, choose the hard road.
It is a road paved with your support.