Stories from the Field: Mariollene Dorvil Dorsainvil

Mariollene Dorvil Dorsainvil

Like most women today, Mariollene Dorvil Dorsainvil wears numerous hats. She is a loving wife, a caring mother, and a dedicated health worker with International Child Care.

Mariollene begins each day wearing the mom hat. She wakes up at 5:00am to prepare a nutritious breakfast for her three children ranging from age fourteen down to age seven. A typical breakfast consists of corn with vegetables or bread with peanut butter or cheese. While her kids are eating, Mariollene packs their lunches. Then, after breakfast she helps them get ready for school. Their morning ritual includes baths, picking out outfits for the day and styling her daughters hair. Mariollenes husband, a farm machinery technician, is currently unemployed so he walks their children to school when they are all dressed and ready.

Once the kids are off to school, Mariollene spends a few minutes straightening their house. She does the breakfast dishes and makes the beds before getting herself dressed and ready for work. She then catches a Tap Tap to Grace Childrens Hospital to begin her job as a health worker. Mariollenes workday begins at 8:00am.

Many of ICCs health workers work in or near the communities they live in. But, although Mariollene lives just outside of her assigned work zones, in sectors 1, 2 and 3 of Delmas 31 near Cite Hatt, she still has to take public transportation to the hospital to clock in, catch up on paperwork from the day before, prepare materials and gather supplies. Once she is ready for the day she heads back out to her work zones.

Each day Mariollene visits individual homes to check in on families and educate them on different health related issues. Health topics include family planning, breast-feeding, vaccinations and hygiene education. For instance, Mariollene educates families on the benefits of washing their hands, using latrines and drinking clean water. During these visits Mariollene also invites women to join local mothers clubs, recruits midwives and organizes community health committees. The families, especially the women, in these communities relate to Mariollene on many different levels. Mariollene is their neighbor and peer and experiences the same challenges and daily struggles. On average, Mariollene visits ten homes per day.

On a typical day Mariollene returns to Grace Childrens Hospital around 2:00pm to clock out. She then catches a Tap Tap home and becomes a mom once again. While her children are doing homework Mariollene fixes rice and beans for dinner. By 8:00pm the kids are in bed and Mariollene spends some quality time with her husband before heading there herself. It will only be a few short hours before Mariollene will begin her busy schedule all over again.