On a daily basis, Zahoor and Sabazed walk the path between tents housing hundreds of families. Tent by tent, they sit with families to discuss how best to keep clean in the soaring heat, the importance of using the sanitation facilities set up within the camp, and the availability of 24/7 medical and nutrition services provided by Merlin’s clinic.
Zahoor and Sabazed are two of Merlin’s 130-strong team of community mobilisers. Being internally displaced people (IDPs) themselves and struggling with their own homelessness, they are nevertheless committed to promoting health to other IDPs, working everyday in incredibly difficult circumstances under a soaring 50°C sun.
“Because we are IDPs too and we want to help our people,” says Zahoor, explaining why they joined the team. Like many of the displaced, Zahoor and Sabazed are well-educated and could quickly complete the training needed to make them community mobilisers.
In fact, Zahoor and Sabazed became community mobilisers just two days after arriving in Mardan’s Sheik Shahzad camp with their families, having fled their homes and walked for days to reach the camp.
“The conditions are really hard and people really affected. A lot of displaced people are really angry and refuse to talk with us, but when they discover that we are also IDPs they start to accept us and listen,” says Sabazed.
Mobilisers are also monitoring the health of displaced people. By visiting the same families on a daily basis, they get to know them and are able to identify the early signs of diseases such as cholera and acute respiratory infections.
Psychological distress is also a growing problem for IDPs, many of whom were forced to flee their homes and livelihoods, and have lost family members to the conflict. As Zahoor says:
“Some people are isolated in their tents and refuse to speak or eat…it’s dangerous for them in this heat. It’s very difficult for us to see our people suffering, but that’s why we are working in the camp.”
On being asked what she thought of being a community mobiliser, Sabazed responded: “I am very happy with Merlin’s work and proud to be part of Merlin. I now have a better knowledge of health promotion.” Now, as every night since she arrived in the camp, she will go back to her family’s tent, help prepare dinner and work for a few hours on her studies.
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