Yakomina Sayuna (71 years old) or people called her Mom Mina, is a corn farmer from Oebesi Village, Amarasi Timur Sub-District in East Nusa Tenggara. She has six children; all are married and living with their own families, and Mom Mina lives alone. Every day, she goes to her field to grow corn, beans, and other secondary plants. For the past two years; Mom Mina has a medical history of hypertension and diabetes, so her children are afraid to ask their mom to get vaccinated. Moreover, there is a rumor says that vaccines can kill elderly with comorbidities.
In 2021, Mom Mina received the first dose of the vaccine; unfortunately, she missed her second dose as she got sick and no one reminded her, thus the first stage of the vaccine was declared drop out. On June 3, 2022, Covid-19 vaccination was conducted successfully among the tribes at the village meeting hall in Oebesi Village, organized by ADRA, GMIT, and the Community Health Center with support from the Australian Humanitarian Partnership. Mom Mina suffers from hypertension and diabetes, yet it did not stop her enthusiasm for being vaccinated, although the rumor circulated in her village said that someone had died after getting vaccinated.
She says, “We have a safe and effective vaccine, and the Covid-19 vaccine helps people live longer and healthier life. The government does not give vaccines to harm people; instead, they are focused on the safety of all communities against disease.
She added, “Covid-19 is still out there, so we need to respond appropriately; if I have to get vaccinated until how many times, I will get a vaccine to protect myself. I believe that it is crucial for everyone in the community to get vaccinated because to fight against this virus, everyone in our community has to do their part to help eliminating it.”
