Gambian women's voices on COVID-19 vaccines: "We are afraid"

SERREKUNDA, Gambia — Oyster harvesting successful Gambia is considered women’s work. It’s a grueling task — they paddle rickety boats, past get into h2o up to their necks to laic nets. Many of the women are the sole household breadwinners, and that load has lone intensified with the pandemic’s economical hardships.

Oysters bring income conscionable 2 months a twelvemonth — the remainder of year, the nets drawback crabs and tiny fish.

The TRY Oyster Women’s Association represents much than 500 women, galore of whom are reluctant to get vaccinated against COVID-19. These women food nether acheronian of nighttime without fearfulness but are anxious astir the vaccine. They accidental they can’t miss a time of enactment if it means being sidelined — adjacent briefly— due to the fact that of broadside effects from the jab.

Here are their concerns, successful their words.

OUMIE SAMBOU, 50, UNVACCINATED

Sambou’s hubby is older and tin nary longer work. She unsocial makes wealth to provender their 5 children.

“Our beingness since the coronavirus arrived has been precise difficult. No 1 had anything, and nary 1 was capable to work. If I bash not aftermath up and spell to enactment astatine the water, I volition not person thing for my children.

“When COVID-19 broke out, we were told that nary 1 should work. For us, if we beryllium astatine location without going to work, what bash you expect america to springiness to provender our children? If your hubby isn’t beardown capable to enactment and you some beryllium astatine home, however volition you past this on with your children?

“I’m not convinced to judge the vaccine. My caput did not judge it; this is wherefore I said I volition not instrumentality the vaccine.”

FATOU JANHA MBOOB, 67, VACCINATED

Mboob, caput of the TRY Oyster Women’s Association, tries to amended members and her unit astir COVID-19.

“Every clip we had a gathering ... I would archer them astir my friends and relatives who had died of COVID-19.

“I took (the vaccine) erstwhile it was being offered to the wellness workers who did not privation to instrumentality it. So I went in. And past erstwhile I got it, I tried to person my workers astir maine — my location helpers, my unit — to instrumentality it. It wasn’t casual for each of them. I mean, they conscionable didn’t judge successful taking that vaccine. So my information was: You either instrumentality the vaccine oregon you cannot travel to my house, to work, to the office. So done that, they took it reluctantly.”

LUCY JARJU, 53, UNVACCINATED

Jarju mislaid her hubby a decennary agone and is the sole supplier for her family. Four of her 7 children unrecorded astatine home, on with her daughter-in-law and 3 granddaughters.

“What if I get it and the vaccine does not enactment with my humor and brings maine difficulties? I was told to spell and instrumentality the vaccine, but I said that I was scared. If I instrumentality the vaccine and I can’t determination again, what volition I do?

“I can’t contradict the information that it exists; it does exist. I’m lone frightened astir the vaccine. It’s my lone concern. The mode I perceive radical talking astir it, that’s wherefore I’m scared.”

MADELINE SAMBOU, 66, VACCINATED

Sambou, parent of three, was vaccinated aft unit from her grown children. Her peers haven’t been persuaded by her experience.

“When I took the vaccine, it did not origin immoderate problems. I went, took it and came backmost and I was capable to navigator my food, bash the laundry, and each my activities.

“People were saying: ‘You are decidedly strong. The injection vaccine did not origin immoderate problems for you, you are doing your work.’”

SABEL JATTA, 60, CONSIDERING VACCINATION

Jatta, is simply a widow and parent of seven.

“We don’t person a husband. The stream is our husband.

“I’m not frightened of the virus. I’m frightened of the vaccine.

“The vaccine they are giving overseas is amended than the 1 they springiness here. The 1 fixed present is not good.

“I person seen my children that person taken the vaccine. Now it’s lone maine that has not taken it ... but I volition spell again.”

ROSE JATTA, 49, UNVACCINATED

Jatta suffers from chronic wellness issues but inactive goes retired successful hunt of nutrient connected the stream daily. She fears the vaccine could marque her sicker, leaving her 2 children without food.

“My kids lone beryllium connected me. Who volition assistance my household if I cannot work?”

FATOU JATTA, 66, UNVACCINATED

Jatta, parent of three, has nary plans to beryllium vaccinated.

“We are acrophobic of the vaccine. Some radical volition instrumentality it and volition person much problems successful their bodies.

“I’m not taking it. My assemblage can’t grip it.”

ANTA SAMBOU, 66, UNVACCINATED

Sambou, a parent of six, knows the microorganism exists but doesn’t privation the jab.

“We commune for the microorganism to permission and spell backmost wherever it comes from. The river, the stream is what we have.”

This communicative is portion of a yearlong series connected however the pandemic is impacting women successful Africa, astir acutely successful the slightest developed countries. AP’s bid is funded by the European Journalism Centre’s European Development Journalism Grants program, which is supported by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. AP is liable for each content.