"Getting children vaccinated: a path to their well-being"

It is almost time to go. With the help of her sister, Mariam is busy getting her twins Assane and Hussein ready; her babies are just four months old. Their destination is the health center of N'Djamena-Centre District, where the twin brothers will receive their crucial polio vaccine. 

In many African traditions, twins are considered as a blessing, and Mariam testifies to this with great pride: "In our culture, twins are seen as a gift of God and a source of wealth; that's why I must take better care of my children." 

Mariam is a very caring mother who prioritizes her children's health above all. The "Kulina Sawa" (We are all together in the local Arabic language) project has greatly contributed to this. As part of this project, Mariam was sensitized by community agents about the importance of vaccination and children's birth registration. "I had a negative perception of vaccines; there were many rumors and beliefs, people pretending that vaccines caused sterility or doubting their origin. So, I had no intention of vaccinating my children, and like many people around me, I always turned to traditional healers" she says. 

The Kulina Sawa project has helped Mariam, and many other mothers change their perceptions of vaccines, understand and accept that every child should be vaccinated and registered by the civil services. "Thanks to the awareness raised by the community agent, I understood that vaccines are safe and effective in strengthening my children's immune system. My husband and I decided to vaccinate our children and have their birth certificates issued" she added. 

Mariam explains her joy in knowing that her children are immune to polio; moreover, they have birth certificates that will protect their rights. 

Now, her wish is to be useful to her community by sensitizing her relatives and acquaintances so that every child in her circle gets vaccinated and benefits from birth certification. 

With financial support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Kulina Sawa project has significantly contributed to improving vaccination rates, reducing infant mortality and increasing birth registration. Its first phase of implementation was carried out in the city of N'Djamena and the Chari Baguirmi province.  

Through educational talks, household awareness raising activities and radio broadcasts, it reached nearly 3.3 million people between January 2022 and March 2023.