Sheron, a mobiliser at Barcelona Clinic in Daveyton, Ekurhuleni is a healthcare champion connecting young people to vital sexual and reproductive health, HIV and mental health services. The challenges that young people in the Daveyton community face are vast, including poverty, early pregnancy, access to health services, unemployment,  crime and poor service delivery. Added to this, young people are fearful of visiting clinics because of stigma and the time it takes to receive care. Clinics are overburdened and it often means young people have to take a whole day out of school or work to be seen by a healthcare professional. 

Sheron left her job in retail to become a mobiliser where she dedicates her time to imparting knowledge to young people so that they can feel confident in their choices about their health. With the power of knowledge, Sheron is able to connect young people to relevant, integrated and youth-friendly healthcare services. 

Sheron says, “When I moved to Tiko, my eyes were opened to the number of young people facing a difficult future because they don’t know about family planning, PrEP, or mental health. I have met many girls who have fallen pregnant in their teens, and they are scared about their future.”

“We also educate and help boys to know their HIV status and take control of their physical and mental health,” Sheron adds.

Sheron sees up to 10 young girls and women and boys aged between 15 to 24 years old on a daily basis, who cannot afford services or simply don’t know what their options are. Many do not have parents and are raised by their grandparents or siblings and live off social grants to survive. Her biggest reward is seeing the change in these young people when they know about HIV treatment or PrEP or that they can avoid early pregnancy through family planning, meaning they can complete their education and realise their dreams. The Tiko mobilisers also connect young people to local mental health services that equip them with skills to navigate challenges and to reach their dreams. Sheron notes, “once a young person has knowledge they are not scared anymore and they know what they need to do to empower themselves in their health journey.”

Sheron mentions that the Tiko platform is also providing families with essential items such as food and toiletries through the rewards scheme. When young people access services, they are able to rate those services and earn Tiko miles which they can spend at a local partner retailer on essential items. 

Sheron recalls a recent story, “one family that we have been working with, where the parents are both unemployed, came to us as their daughter was struggling with her mental health. Through the Ekhopoleni Mental Health and Trauma Centre we were able to connect her to counselling services that changed her life and the Tiko miles are helping this family to have food and get through a very difficult time.”

We celebrate healthcare champions like Sheron, creating awareness and educating young people so that they are inspired by their future and have the freedom to shape their own lives. Often working in challenging circumstances, their resilience and determination to empower young people to reach their dreams, brings hope and change to these communities.

*This story was written by Tiko with consent from Sheron.