Every child has a story

Elise is a community health worker in the rural village of Andramonina, situated in the highlands of central Madagascar and around 5km from the nearest health centre. Selected by the people in her village to become a community health worker, Elise is a well-known and trusted member of her community. Since 2008, she has been supporting women and children on all health issues including raising awareness of vaccination campaigns against Maternal and Newborn Tetanus, supported by the Pampers and UNICEF “1 pack + 1 vaccine” campaign.

Antoinette is a traditional birthing attendant and has been delivering babies in the rural village of Soamonina, situated in the highlands of central Madagascar, for 33 years. In between supporting women and children in her community, consisting of 1750 inhabitants and situated 10km away from the nearest health centre, Antoinette looks after her own four children and grandchildren and works as a farmer.

Juliette lives with her husband and two children in the rural village of Soamonina, situated in the highlands of central Madagascar. Despite being a mother of two young boys aged two and a half and nine months, Juliette works as a farmer to support her family and her husband works as a brick layer. The community she lives in, which consists of 1750 inhabitants, is 10km away from the nearest health centre, a three hour walk.

The 11th of October 2014 was the International Day of the Girl Child. The theme this year is ‘Empowering Adolescent Girls: Ending the Cycle of Violence’. Different types of violence affect adolescent girls, whether it's physical, sexual or emotional violence, it must be brought to an end. Violence against girls not only damages their health, but hinders the development of communities as well. For these reasons, it is most important that these girls are empowered and allowed the rights that they should be protected by.