Mother-to-child transmission of HIV is the most common way infants contract the virus and this happens when HIV is passed from a mother to her baby during pregnancy, birth or while breastfeeding. Hope Cape Town conducts a project in collaboration with Tygerberg Hospital, situated in Cape Town, South Africa which aims to support these pregnant women who come to Tygerberg Hospital for care.
Today we meet Mariam Roelofse, Care Worker for HOPE Cape Town for Babies who shares her journey with us and why she loves doing what she does.
Growing up in Bontheuwel, a former coloured township in Cape Town was not easy for Mariam as it involved daily crime activity, gangs, and poverty. Without a matric certificate (graduation) it is not easy to pursue a career as a teacher, doctor or nurse, something Mariam always dreamt of – but because she failed matric, she could not fulfil this. Without a matric certificate, she had no choice but to find work and ended up in a jewelry factory where she spent 5 years. Soon realizing that this was not her passion as she loved engaging with people, Mariam quit her job and decided to look after her children instead.
During her time at home, she decided to empower herself by doing a 6 month Home Based Training Course which she completed and started doing voluntary work at the Centre for Disease Control (CDC) clinic unit in Vangate, close to her home.
She then moved with her family to Bishop Lavis and found work at the Bishop Lavis Clinic where she worked in a voluntary capacity as a Directly Observed Treatment (DOT) supporter, handing out medication to TB patients. This role continued for 2 years until she applied for a permanent position with HOPE Cape Town as a Care Worker. To date, Mariam has been part of the HOPE family for 15 years!
A typical day at the office for Mariam starts at 7am where she follows up with patients and assists the nurse on duty with PCR (HIV tests for babies). Starting at the labour ward, Mariam needs to ensure that all moms have done a recent HIV test and if not will arrange to have one done. For her, its important to build relationships with these moms and gain their trust as in most cases these new moms do not know what to expect during and after their pregnancy journey.
Part of her role is to get as much information as possible from mothers while they are in the labour ward – things like checking if they are adhering to their medication and the general well-being of the patient.
During the COVID- 19 pandemic, many mothers feel alone as they are not allowed any visitors, however we try to bridge that gap in order to make it as comfortable as possible by providing them with useful information, like what to expect, breastfeeding tips etc. We also allow them to call their loved ones just allow them to connect with someone who they cannot physically see.
The most rewarding part of my job is the feedback we receive from patients who are so thankful for the support during the whole process and especially the fact that we were there every step of the way. This gratefulness really makes me feel proud as an employee of HOPE Cape Town.
