Soul City Celebrates Midwives, Nurses, and CHWs: Honouring the Spirit of Sister Bettina This May
Through its longstanding Adolescent and Youth Friendly Services (SCI AYFS) , Soul City has worked tirelessly to ensure that young people especially adolescent girls and young women receive respectful, confidential, and quality health care. None of this would be possible without the dedication of nurses, midwives, and CHWs who bridge the gap between communities and the formal health system.
90% of essential care delivered by Midwives
According to UNFPA and WHO AFRO, midwives can deliver up to 90% of essential sexual, reproductive, maternal, and newborn health services including contraception, prenatal care, and postnatal care. Nurses and CHWs further extend this reach, particularly in underserved and rural communities where the AYFS programmes operate.
Remembering Sister Bettina: A National Icon
Soul City introduced South Africa to its most recognisable and beloved nurse: Sister Bettina. For millions, Sister Bettina was more than a character she was a symbol of compassion, courage, and clinical excellence. Through her, Soul City championed respectful care, HIV prevention, maternal health, and the dignity of every patient especially young people.
Today, we say to every nurse, midwife, and CHW who embodies the spirit of Sister Bettina:
Keep going. Keep caring. Keep leading.
Your service is important. Your presence saves lives. And all that you do is deeply appreciated not only by Soul City, but by the communities and young people who rely on you every single day.
A Special Shout-Out to Community Health Workers (CHWs)
Soul City extends an enormous thank you to Community Health Workers the invisible backbone of primary healthcare. Your ability to be on the frontline, often without fanfare or full recognition, is truly commendable. From door-to-door health education to supporting new mothers, linking adolescents to youth-friendly services, and helping young people access contraception and prenatal care you make the health system work.
We see you. We salute you. We stand with you.
The Role of Soul City Institute (SCI) & AYFS
Soul City Institute has been a pioneer in social and behaviour change communication, advocacy, and community-led health programming for over three decades. Through AYFS (Adolescent and Youth Friendly Services) , Soul City:
- Strengthens the capacity of nurses to provide youth-friendly contraception, prenatal care, and postnatal support.
- Trains healthcare providers to reduce stigma and judgment toward adolescent girls and young women seeking sexual and reproductive health services.
- Supports with clinic , referrals, and peer networks to reach young people in schools, communities, and clinics.
- Advocates for policies that recognise CHWs and nurses as essential, not auxiliary, to the health system.
Soul City’s work is rooted in the belief that no young person should be turned away from care and that every midwife, nurse, and CHW deserves respect, protection, and investment.
Call to Action: Invest in the Frontline
As we celebrate 5 and 12 May, Soul City calls on government, private sector, and civil society to:
- Recognise midwives, nurses, and CHWs as essential health workers.
- Resource SCI AYFS and similar programs that train providers in youth-friendly care.
- Respect the contribution of frontline health workers to women's health and adolescent well-being.
“The spirit of Sister Bettina lives in every nurse who stays late, every CHW who walks an extra mile, and every midwife who holds a young mother's hand. Through AYFS, we see daily how these heroes transform adolescent health. This May, we honour them not with words alone, but with a promise to fight for their recognition, safety, and support. Siyanda Magayana, Advocacy officer
Join the Conversation
Soul City invites the public to share messages of thanks using the hashtags:
For media inquiries, interviews, or to share a tribute story, please contact:
Akona Anati Zibonti
Communications Officer
akona@soulcity.org.za
ENDS
