ChildFund Community Health Volunteer Miguel grew up in a remote village in Timor-Leste and watched his four brothers and sisters die from fever when he was aged 12. There was no doctor nearby and nothing his parents could do.
Now a young man, Miguel works with families in his village and surrounding areas to prevent family tragedies like his own.
Community Health Volunteers teach mothers how to identify symptoms of malnutrition and deadly disease and how to protect their children from malaria and dengue fever. They assist with vaccination programmes, refer ill children to health clinics, and give maternal health advice.
By protecting children’s health, Community Health Volunteers provide a valuable service to their communities in Timor-Leste and countries like Sri Lanka, Kenya, Vietnam and Zambia.
ChildFund is seeking to expand the community health programme to reach more at-risk children with a public appeal to raise more than $100,000.
To donate visit www.childfund.org.nz/prevent-family-tragedy