GASSANA GAYTERA: HOW SMART START CHANGED HER LIFE!
Gasana Gaytera, a 20-year-old girl, lives in Gofa Zone in the Uba Debertsehay Woreda in the SNNP Region of Ethiopia. She was born and raised in an agrarian family, the youngest of five siblings, . She enrolled in her kebele’s elementary school when she was seven years old. In the wettest, coldest, and hilly conditions, she walked to school for more than an hour each day.
When she was 12 years old, the left side of her leg was partially paralyzed. She told us, “At that time, no one took me to the doctor or hospital. Finally, after a year of being sick, my family took me to a traditional healer, because of the widespread confidence in traditional healers in our community..”
The traditional healer could not cure her paralysis. Most of her neighbors andcommunity members consider her cursed because her family did not give the traditional healer enough money to cure her paralysis. As a result, Gasana’s education was disrupted, and she missed growing up and playing with her peers.
At the age of 16, Gasana married Mr. Shango Shankel, a widowed farmer who lived far from her village. She was sad because he was much older. For the first two weeks of her marriage, her mother and older sister came to help her with the housework, but they soon returned to their village. When she missed her monthly period for three months and was genuinely concerned, she had no one to talk to because she was new in the community. Moreover, because of her disability, she did not feel confident meeting and socializing with her new neighbours.
Gasana eventually gave birth to her first daughter, Mekuanent, at home. Although it was diffcult, she was happy that her mother and a traditional birth attendant were there to help her. When Mekuanent was two and a half years old, Gasana had her second child, Newasa, at home. Gasana said, “being a disabled mother and raising children has been diffcult because of my physical limitations and lack of community support.” One Thursday morning, while Gasana was having coffee with her husband and kids, a Smart Start Navigator, who seeks out newly married adolescents in the woreda, named Aberash came to their home. Aberash introduced herself, explained why she had come, and requested consent to discuss health-related topics. They promptly granted her permission excited to hear what Aberash had to say.
Gasana said “It was the first time I heard about Smart Start, and Aberash was a special messenger sent by God.”
After a lengthy discussion, Aberash helped Gasana and her husband realize that, due to Gasana’s disabilities, Mr. Shango’s old age, and their small farmland, it is important to proactively plan their family size.
Mr. Shango shared his concern “as you can see, I’m getting older and worry about the future of my wife and children. You have given us new insight on the importance of saving and spacing, but no one has taught us this before.”
At the end of the Smart Start counseling, Gasana and Mr. Shango took the family goal and service referral card to discuss among themselves their family plan. Aberash promised to pay them another visit with the HEW (Health Extension Worker), Health Center staff, and Omo Micro Saving Association Agent. After a week, Aberash came back to Gassana’s home accompanied by the local HEW and the leader of the Women’s Development Army (WDA). The HEW discussed the health package offered at the Health Post including vaccinations and nutritional check-ups for children. As a result, their children had a nutritional check-up for the frst time and were booked for vaccination. In addition, the HEW provided detailed counseling on the value of family planning and the contraceptive options available. After the counseling, the couple decided to take long-acting contraceptive. They were referred to a well-trained health care provider at the nearest health center. The HEW arranged a stretcher to take Gassana to the nearest health center because of her disability. At the health center, Gassana received additional contraceptive counseling and decided to take Jadelle, a contraceptive implant that provides protection for 5-years. Furthermore, the WDA helped Gasana and her husband join a weekly discussion group with other community members to work together and stay committed to their family goals. Due to the Smart Start Navigator home visit and counseling, Gasana not only learned valuable skills on financial and family planning benefting her future. She has also made connection required to improve her life in a more holistic way. She feels like she has fostered relationships with her neighbours. She is delighted that she is no longer isolated from her community, despite the village’s challenging layout, she has begun socializing over coffee with her neighbors. Moreover, she and her husband are discussing ways to increase their income and save money for a better life.
