Female Community Health Volunteer: Tilkumari Koktu
Tilkumari Koktu is 58 years old, from the village Narayansthan Kolpata, and has been volunteering for 15 years. She is very highly regarded within her community, as an active and positive female role model. She received the One Heart PAVOT training 10 months ago.
Why did she want to become a volunteer?
To serve the pregnant women, children, and newborn baby.
What challenges do the women in her village face?
She is saying, most of the women are not rich. They cannot afford to go to hospital, and they cannot afford to eat nutritious food. In her ward, her village, there is mostly the population of lower caste. They all are poor, so they cannot afford to go to baglung hospital. They cannot pay for transportation. They are shy to come to the health post because there is male, they are shy to do check up with the male. Only if there is an ANM, which is female, they will come and check up. But if there is only male they won’t come here. That are the problem and the challenges for them.
When she visited with pregnant women, what does she tell them?
She said I have many stories to tell. Recently she give delivery, and one woman she is from poor family. It is difficult to feed herself, and her husband have to work all day, and if he brought money then she could get good food, but if not it is difficult to get food.
Last year there was one breached delivery, the baby died on the way to hospital. They also delayed to take to hospital because of money, they are also from lower caste family, and from poor family. So these are all difficult things.
Do you have any kids of your own? If yes, where did you give birth? Were there any complications?
She does not have any children. Her husband died young in war in India.
What advice does she have for young women in the community?
She said that she will advise or teach the young women that they should get married in appropriate age, and that they should not get pregnant before 20 years. That can cause defect in uterous, after they get pregnant they should take iron tablets and TT vaccination. They should have five years difference between first child and second child. For pregnant women they should not carry the heavy load, and they should not give birth to many children.
She was telling a story about a recent case. There was a four-month pregnancy in her ward, and she planting the millet and picking the millet, carrying them from here and there. She had bleeding, so she advised her to go for check up. And she came here, and the health worker said if there is heavy bleeding the baby will die, you will lose the baby. They really insist if you stop, the baby will survive. And she says, she is doing well now.
Interview was taken by Kelly McIlvenny in Narayansthan in July 2011, translated by Ang Jangmu Sherpa.
