NIGERIA

Zainab Zakariya, a volunteer community mobilizer in Kano, Nigeria, said she’s fortunate to have worked with CORE Group Partners Project for over eight years. “I love what I do. I love meeting mothers, caregivers, and children, because all of them are impacting and affecting the change needed to ensure that no child in my community will ever again suffer polio paralysis or any disease outbreak.” Zainab, who works in Ungogo, is one of 745 community volunteers working with CGPP. Like her colleagues, she conducts house-to-house mobilization, tracks and refers for routine immunization, supports supplementary immunization activities, sensitizes her community on COVID-19 and Global Health Security, and conducts active case searches for acute flaccid paralysis. Recently, Zainab was honored with an award for her dedication, determination, and steadfast spirit.

While she often comes across mothers and caregivers who miss second and third doses of immunization schedules, she is optimistic in closing the gaps by educating caregivers on accurate information about routine immunization and the importance of children being fully immunized. “My greatest satisfaction is when, through my accomplishment as a volunteer community mobilizer, there is a reduction in acute flaccid paralysis cases in my community. To see the smiles on the faces of children and their caregivers gives me joy and a sense of accomplishment because that’s my major goal — seeing my community free from polio and accepting the vaccines.”

Through the dedication of 1,561 total project volunteers, including Zainab, CGPP reached over 2.3 million caregivers in FY23 with convergent messages on routine immunization, acute flaccid paralysis surveillance, nutrition, hygiene, WASH, COVID-19 prevention and control, and priority zoonotic diseases. Through household visits and compound meetings, volunteers tracked and referred 45,726 pregnant women for antenatal care, 38,442 children who had defaulted on routine antigens, and 24,704 newborns. CGPP supported the administration of 976,320 doses of oral polio vaccine through outbreak response activities in focal states, mobilizing parents to bring their children for vaccination.

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