Salamatu Jawara is an HIV nurse counselor in Freetown, Sierra Leone. Trained by Solthis as part of the IMPAACT4HIV project, she tells us about how she found her calling and her daily life as a caregiver.
Since childhood, I dreamed of becoming a doctor. For “African Child Day” at school, my mother would dress me in a white coat and I would play at treating patients. I studied science hard, but at the end of high school, my family couldn’t afford to send me to university. I had to get married young, at the age of 20. Fortunately, my husband was educated and supported my passion. Although he couldn’t finance my medical studies, he encouraged me to train as an HIV counselor. I started as a volunteer, then worked my way up the ladder—I even studied for three more years to become a nurse.
Every day, I care for people living with HIV: women, children, pregnant mothers. I give them my number. They call me at night, and I answer. Many struggle with stigma; they are afraid to come to the center, afraid of running into someone they know. I tell them, “It’s not your fault. Take your medication, and you can lead a healthy life.” I explain to pregnant mothers how the treatment protects their babies. When a mother learns that her child is HIV-negative thanks to her diligence, her relief is indescribable.
Once, the husband of a patient refused to get tested and didn’t want her to take her medication. I advised her: “The next time he’s sick, even if it’s just a fever, bring him in.” When he came in, I tested them both. Now they take their medication together—no more hiding, no more shame.
Solthis trained me to treat advanced HIV, one of the leading causes of death among our patients. Before, we lacked the knowledge to treat them and the tools to diagnose them. Today, we know how to recognize the symptoms, we have the screening tests and the skills to treat them. We save lives.
This work is my life, and I love this job. I can’t just sit around doing nothing: my patients need me. If I’m not there, a life could be in danger.
