“Whatever I do for my family, I do it for love. My limited knowledge can sometimes make me make bad decisions. However, I am happy I had a team to show me the right way.”
After initiating vaccination activities in the forgotten community of Tarre, situated on the plateaus bordering Babanki (Kedjum Ketinguh) and Awing in Bamenda 1 Health Area, the R4S mobilization team encountered resistance from some community members as they planned for the second trip to administer DPT2 in January 2024.
Adamu Muhamadou, a Bororo herdsman based in Tarre, was unhappy when his wife vaccinated his children with DPT1, which made them develop a mild fever for some days. He gave firm instructions against administering any other vaccination for his children. He refused any discussion with the mobiliser until the community leader had to talk with him amicably. This opened room for the mobilisers to educate Mamadou on the importance of vaccination and the mild effects the vaccination sometimes causes. They also gave him referral pathways in case the adverse event was severe.
“My wife told me it was normal and gave me the number to call if the situation was serious. I was worried because my children had never been sick,” Mamadou confessed.
Mamadou personally brought his four eligible children from his two wives for the second vaccination dose and instructed his wives to ensure his children received other vaccines even in his absence. “Whatever I do for my family, I do it for love. My limited knowledge can sometimes make me make bad decisions. However, I am happy I had a team to show me the right way.” Mamadou praised the R4S team for their patience in ensuring that he learned the comparative benefits of vaccinating his children.
