During Health Worker Week, the Living Goods team in Burkina Faso, led by Country Director Jules Gaye, had the opportunity to meet with two community health workers (CHWs)-called ASBC (Agent de Santé à Base Communautaire) who are making a real difference in their communities. These frontline workers shared their stories, including the challenges they face, the motivations that drive them, and the impact they witness every day.

Thanks to the Burkina Faso ministry of health training supported by Living Goods, CHWs like Adama have acquired powerful skills. Adama explained, “We learned to take temperatures, identify a sick child, understand dosages, and administer treatment.” This newfound knowledge allows them to provide critical care, improving the health of women and children in their communities.

CHWs are often the first point of contact during emergencies, offering vital care and preventing risky trips to distant health centers. Nana Adjara shared, “Community members thank us for helping them recover quickly and for being there for them.”

Despite the low financial compensation, these CHWs remain deeply committed. They understand the profound effect they have on the health of their neighbors. As a Living Goods program manager Luc Kaboré explains, “Today, ASBCs are essential. They tackle a vast number of health issues in their communities.”

The results speak for themselves. Living Goods is proud of the measurable progress at their Ziniaré learning site. “We’ve seen performance indicators jump by 3, 4, even 7 times in just a year! We’re incredibly satisfied,” Kaboré beamed.