By: Maria Ines Alvarez Garay (*)
International Women’s Day (IWD) is a holiday celebrated annually on March 8th to commemorate the cultural, political, and socioeconomic achievements of women all over the world.
Today we want to pay tribute to women health workers, especially to our Gambian colleagues who work alongside Cuban medical collaborators with dedication, professionalism and love.
A woman in health services is the one who, besides doing the house work and helping the family, extends her solidarity hand to those who suffer from painful diseases or require care and encouragement to continue living.
A woman in health services is the one who puts her creative intelligence, her fertile intellect in the hands of humanity, she is the one who takes a step forward and puts her soft hands on those little infants or those who already comb gray hair regardless of their social status, race, country or language.
Women in white coats that deep in science trying to find a safer future and full of it with a heart full of hope and love, assists their patients alleviating their sufferings and saving their lives.
We, the Cuban health collaborators in this sister nation, congratulate our Gambian colleagues who work by our side to improve the health of their people, and they do so with great dedication,professionalism and delicacy that expresses the naked eloquence of the heart, that reveals the inner beauty and incredible greatness of these women.
As Jose Martí, our national hero said:
«The campaigns of the people are only weak, when the heart of the woman is not enlisted in them, but when the woman trembles and helps, when the woman timid and quiet of her nature, encourages and applauds, when the cultured woman and virtuous anoints the work with the honey of her love, the work is invincible»
We are aware that together we will raise the quality of life and health indices of this West African people.
Go ahead dear Gambian women in health, champions of the honor of the homeland, heralds of health and life, victors of death, Olympic champions of true humanism. You will get the victory.
We are very proud of you. Congratulations on the International Women’s Day!
(*) Professor and collaborator of the Medical Brigade in the Gambia
