Mercy Kafotokoza
Making quality healthcare services accessible in rural Malawi
Malawi
“When I grow up, I will be a nurse so that no one in our community or our family should die because of something that is treatable.”
These are the courageous words of Mercy Kafotokoza who, as a young girl in rural Malawi, was trying to come to terms with the grief of her uncle’s passing. His simple tooth infection had spread to his brain because there was no treatment available in their remote village. The pain had increased to the point that he travelled 50 km by oxcart to the nearest medical facility, but it was too late. Mercy’s uncle’s unnecessary death was the pivotal moment when Mercy resolved to become a nurse.
Years later, as a trained nurse serving the communities of rural Malawi, Mercy bore witness to the tragic death of a mother and her twin newborns. The mother had endured days of severe headaches but lacked transport from her remote village to the hospital and the funds to pay a driver. Consequently, her treatable condition escalated during childbirth, endangering her babies. This heart-wrenching experience rekindled memories of her dear uncle and she understood that waiting for patients to arrive at the hospital with complications, when it was often too late, was not the solution. She recognised the need to proactively enter the community and prevent complications from occurring in the first place.
Mercy’s Nurses on Bikes reach the most remote patients in Malawi.
So in 2016, Mercy did just this. She quit her job at the hospital and founded Wandikweza to provide quality healthcare that is accessible to the most remote Malawians. Mercy has since built up a team of 130 trained community health workers who have restored dignity and hope in communities, and have treated over 350,000 patients across rural Malawi.
Wandikweza’s “Nurses on Bikes” initiative is particularly groundbreaking! The program's overarching vision is to ensure that no pregnant woman or child under 5 is more than 30 minutes away from emergency care, thanks to dedicated nurses stationed on motorbikes in rural villages, readily available for callouts. Since the program launched there has been a remarkable reduction in maternal and infant mortality rates. Mercy and her dedicated team are also in the process of constructing a neonatal unit to further enhance survival rates for newborn babies.
In recognition of her outstanding contributions to the health sector, Mercy received the prestigious 2023 Presidential Zikomo Award. This award is bestowed upon changemakers who find solutions to various social issues that Malawi faces.
Working in collaboration with her team, Mercy is currently in the process of expanding Wandikweza's operations. Their ambitious goals include establishing ten more maternal health posts across five additional districts and deploying an additional 25 Nurses on Bikes to support their remote maternal and child health outreach campaigns. Their aim is to provide care to at least 25,000 more patients.
At the remarkable age of 97, Mercy's grandmother has the privilege of witnessing her granddaughter's steadfast pursuit of a profound dream. This dream is rooted in the preservation of her family and community, aiming to eradicate needless deaths caused by preventable or treatable ailments. And she’s doing it!
Isolated farmers now have access to quality, life-saving healthcare in their own towns.
Nurses on Bikes respond within half an hour to any health crisis.
Make a donation for Mercy to put where it’s needed most or check out her latest projects below.
Contact jo@justpeoples.org to learn more about how you can support Mercy’s work.