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By the time the sun rises over Mfenesini village in Zanzibar, Rukyya Faki has already begun her rounds.<\/strong> To many, she is more than a Community Health Worker (CHW) she is a familiar face, a neighbor, and a guardian of health. With a bag tucked and a calm confidence in her voice, she moves from house to house ensuring that no child, mother, or student is left behind in the journey toward full immunisation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rukyya\u2019s work is simple, yet deeply transformative. When she began her journey as a Community Health Worker in 2022, she never imagined how profoundly the experience would shape her. Each home she visits, each mother she listens to, and each child she guides reminds her why she chose this path.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMy role is to mobilize my community and work closely with health providers,\u201d<\/em> she says. \u201cWe go door to door, we run mobile outreaches, and we make sure everyone<\/em> <\/em>from newborn babies to pregnant mothers<\/em> <\/em>gets vaccinated.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n In Zanzibar\u2019s close knit villages, CHWs are chosen from within the community. People know them by name, they see them at the market, and they share the same concerns and hopes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is why parents trust Rukyyaa. She speaks their language. She understands their fears. And she listens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When a mother hesitates about a vaccine, Rukyyaa doesn\u2019t lecture she explains. She shares stories of children who grew healthier because of timely vaccination. She breaks down rumors with facts and compassion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSome people were afraid of vaccines,\u201d<\/em> she recalls. \u201cBut after many home visits and discussions, they now know immunisation is safe. It prevents diseases like polio and measles. Our children are healthier.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n In many households, challenges such as long distances, transport costs, or busy schedules used to prevent families from visiting health facilities. She and her team bring services directly to the people immunisation in the comfort of their own homes<\/strong>.<\/strong> No long queues. No transport costs. No missed doses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt brings me joy when mothers proudly bring their children for vaccines or when students complete their adolescent immunisations,\u201d<\/em> she says with a smile. \u201cWe have built a community that values protection.\u201d<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Thanks to the combined efforts of Amref Tanzania and Africa CDC<\/a> and other partners in collaboration with the Ministry of Health in Zanzibar, Community Health Workers (CHWs), and health care workers under the Mastercard Foundation\u2019s Saving Lives and Livelihoods (SLL) Project<\/a>, immunisation uptake in Mfenesini is rising. Mothers remind each other of clinic days. Fathers are asking more questions. Teenagers are showing up for their HPV doses, and pregnant women are confidently completing their Tetanus (TT) dose schedules.Rukyyaa has watched this transformation unfold.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cPeople are excited to get vaccinated now,\u201d<\/em> she says proudly. \u201cThey know vaccines protect the whole family.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n CHWs like Rukyya are the bridge between health systems and hard-to-reach households. They educate, mobilize, and guide families with empathy and patience. Their role is not only delivering information but delivering hope, trust, and access.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Through Rukyya\u2019s commitment, Mfenesini village is healthier, safer, and more resilient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Bringing Vaccines and Hope to Her Community By the time the sun rises over Mfenesini village in Zanzibar, Rukyya Faki has already begun her rounds. To many, she is more than […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3036,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[],"yst_prominent_words":[74,32,267,42],"class_list":["post-3032","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-success-stories"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/amref.org\/tanzania\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2026\/01\/41A1320-2-1-scaled.jpg","yoast_head":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/amref.org\/tanzania\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2026\/01\/41A1320-2-1-1024x762.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nWhy CHWs Like Rukyya Are Trusted<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Bringing Health Services to the Doorstep<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Rukyyaa helps remove these barriers.<\/p>\n\n\n\nA Growing Wave of Vaccine Confidence<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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<\/figure>\n\n\n\nA Community Health Worker, A Community Hero<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n