Innocent Sampaya, one of CMMB’s exceptional Community Health Workers (CHW) in Mwandi, Zambia, is a firm believer in the importance of community and friendship in its ability to empower others. Innocent not only serves as a CHW in his community, but he is also a member of Safe Motherhood Action Group (SMAG). Innocent’s determination to make a difference in his community stemmed from a key encounter with an abandoned newborn.  This experience brought him to a sudden realization of what his community needed to avoid such predicaments: “I believe that mother was scared and felt helpless. I also believe that if she didn’t feel so alone, if she knew that there was help and support available – other options – that she may not have abandoned her baby. Community and friendship matter.” After this incident, Innocent made the life-changing decision to join SMAG and to become a CHW, as he began to understand the vulnerability of women and children and his needed role in supporting them.

Innocent’s daily tasks as a CHW and SMAG member entail identifying and assisting pregnant women in the community and making sure that their journey during their pregnancy is a safe one. Innocent informs them about the importance of putting the right foods in their body, avoiding certain physical activities that could harm the baby, and the side effects that they can expect along the course of their pregnancy. Additionally, he teaches them about the warning signs they cannot ignore and when they should seek medical attention. In spite of the occasional, negative feedback he has received from some of the men and even women in his community, as a result of his work being known as a “woman’s work,” Innocent continues to push on and is a valued contributor to his community.