“The most important thing is to be able to help women.” – Rosalia, outreach nurse in Bolivia

In the remote communities of Bolivia, where contraception isn’t readily available,  Rosalia Ajnota travels for days at a time to bring choice to women.

Rosalia starts her day by preparing the materials to take to health centers on the periphery of La Paz. At other times, she and the team travel to distant populations, spending days at a time providing services.

“These visits require more work because the number of people who attend can be as many as 80. On these occasions, you cannot stop, or eat. They are very busy days and our goal is to see everybody.”

The long days of outreach can be challenging, but Rosalia knows that women are counting on her. “If MSI did not work in remote communities, the women in these towns would not be able to access contraception. I feel that we are changing lives.”

Keeping the conversation going

Even on the busiest days, Rosalia takes the time to counsel every client about her options, so she can pick the best contraception for her needs. But Rosalia knew that clients might have questions later, or might have other issues they need to discuss. That’s why she created a WhatsApp support group for women in the communities she visits. 

As part of the group, clients can share their life experiences about contraceptive decisions, intra-family violence and other common issues that they face every single day. 

“We as women need to talk and share our concerns. I think that listening is very important, and this is why I created the WhatsApp groups. They are a space to share information and also where women don’t feel alone when they have concerns about contraception.”

Hearing other women’s experiences even encouraged some to take up contraception themselves: “The WhatsApp groups are very important in the communities. After receiving information, women invite us to give long-acting contraceptive implants, or to give talks within the community.”