The port of Kalemie, a haven of life and transit, is the scene of a chance and yet decisive encounter. In this place where destinies intersect and separate, Neema, a resolute mother, makes her way through the teeming crowd. With one child clinging to her back and another following closely, she carries her meager possessions with a firm hand. Kalemie, a town in Tanganyika, has been Neema’s home for three years, but today she is preparing to cross Lake Tanganyika for a new start in Uvira, South Kivu province.
As she prepares to board the boat, destiny puts on her route a team of professionals engaged in vaccinating populations. These life savers, on a mission to reach the most remote areas, approach Neema with kindness. Their message on the crucial importance of vaccination for children under five makes him aware of his own responsibility towards Aisha and Rémy, his children. The latter have not been vaccinated for a year, due to lack of time for Neema, who is overwhelmed by the necessities of daily life.
It was then that a simple gesture, but full of meaning, occurred at the port of Kalemie. The vaccinators, in a show of solidarity, administer the necessary vaccines to Aisha and Rémy, offering Neema relief mixed with hope. The moment is fleeting, but essential, marking the start of a new stage for this family in search of security and well-being.
This story reveals the reality of many mothers in precarious contexts, juggling between the imperatives of daily life and the essential needs of their children. Vaccination, often relegated to the background, is proving to be a vital issue for the health and future of young people. Thanks to the action of the vaccination teams, Neema regains hope and commits to rigorously following the vaccination program for her children.
Beyond this poignant story, the portrait of a committed community emerges, determined to meet the challenges of routine vaccination. At the port of the Société Nationale des Chemins de fer du Congo, the efforts of vaccinators of the Expanded Immunization Program are focused on the identification and vaccination of zero-dose children, a constant challenge in remote regions like Tanganyika.
Despite persistent obstacles, the hard work of vaccination teams is paying off. Every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, around a hundred children receive the vaccines necessary to preserve their health. Mothers, increasingly aware of the importance of vaccination, proudly display their children’s health records, actively participating in the community effort to improve vaccination coverage.
However, challenges remain, notably the lack of vaccination monitoring and the difficulty of identifying unvaccinated children.. Social mobilizers, like John, are deploying creative strategies to identify and vaccinate children in vulnerable situations. Their dedication and perseverance helps strengthen vaccination and protect the health of an entire community.
While the DRC faces a decline in vaccination coverage in 2023, the fight to strengthen vaccination remains urgent and crucial. In Tanganyika, a province with multiple challenges and difficult access, innovative initiatives are being put in place to reach the most vulnerable populations and guarantee every child equitable access to vaccination.
Thus, the story of Neema and her children at the port of Kalemie illustrates the strength of solidarity and community engagement in the fight for the health and well-being of the youngest. In these places of passage and exchange, a new horizon of hope and shared responsibility is emerging, where vaccination stands out as an essential pillar of child protection.