A day in the life of a Village Health Volunteer

Mary, felt her first labour pains on the afternoon of Jan 7th 2016.  Although her child was due that month, labour had come earlier than expected and she was not ready.

Mary lives in the Mwakorukoru Community, Makira Province, Solomon Islands. Health services are limited here, with access to the nearest health clinic some distance away by land or sea. For many families travel by boat is an expense they cannot afford, however, the walk is strenuous with several steep rises, which are difficult for a woman in labour.

As a result, home births are common in the community, and it is possible for women to experience birthing complications resulting in death.

To reduce difficulties World Vision has introduced the Village Health Volunteer program to the area. VHVs are community members recruited to monitor and support the health of pregnant women, mothers and young children. They are trained in birthing and can recognise danger signs during labour.

As Mary’s pains labour pains worsened, some of the other community women contacted the local Village Health Volunteer, Julie, for help.

Julie arrived to find the other mothers urging Mary to push. But it was clear that Mary was still in the early stages of labour.

“Mary must wait and let nature do its work,” she explained to the other women.

The labour pains continued until daybreak with no sign of the child. Julie urged the family to take Mary to the clinic, explaining the possible risks to both mother and child if she remained at home, particularly during such a long labour.

Eventually the family (mother, mother-in-law and husband) agreed and as a group, they began the long walk to the nearest clinic.

However, after the first hill, Mary was unable to walk anymore. Her labour pains were coming much faster and there was still some distance to travel, so her husband returned to the village to arrange a boat.

It was late in eveningbefore the group finally arrived at the clinic and Mary had been in labour for more than 24 hours. The clinic was busy and after setting Mary up with an IV drip, the nurse had to move on to other patients.

Mary begged Julie to stay with her.  

“Do not go from me until delivery,” she said. “I can’t and I don’t want to be cared for by them [her mother and mother-in-law], they only scold me and never encourage,”

After a more than 24 hours labour Mary finally gave birth on the morning of January 9th, with the support of the clinic nurse and VHV Julie. However, the baby was not breathing. 

Working quickly the nurse and Julie managed to resuscitate the child and handed him over to his thankful mother.

Julie remained with the Mary until that afternoon, before returning home. Mary and her husband returned to the village a day later with a healthy baby boy.