At mothers2mothers (m2m), we see every day how health starts with her—as women employed by m2m as community health workers, known as Mentor Mothers, support women and families to start their journey to good health and then stay by their side to ensure they get the care they need and deserve.  

We were thrilled to see this on full display tonight, with the powerful story of m2m Mentor Mother, Millicent, featured on Red Nose Day U.K. on BBC One. Red Nose Day is one of the biggest days of charity in the U.K., hosted by U.K. grant-making charity and long-time m2m supporter, Comic Relief. This year is particularly special, as Comic Relief marks 40 years of tackling some of the most urgent problems facing people in the U.K. and across the world through charity, comedy, and community—helping to raise an incredible £1.6 billion ($2 billion) that has supported over 100 million people.   

Meet Millicent 

Millicent is an m2m Community Mentor Mother Coordinator at the Ikhwezi Clinic in the Western Cape of South Africa, where she works with a team of 10 other  m2m Mentor Mothers to provide life-changing health services for HIV, TB, diabetes, cervical cancer, and other health conditions, and to ensure her clients stay in care. Their work is critical, as HIV kills more women under age 45 in South Africa than any other disease, while the impact of non-communicable diseases is rising.

Like all m2m Mentor Mothers, Millicent understands the challenges of HIV firsthand. She found out she was living with HIV in 2002 when she was just 17 years old. It was the height of the AIDS pandemic in South Africa and HIV-related stigma and discrimination were rampant, making it difficult for people to accept their diagnosis and seek lifesaving treatment. Fortunately, with the support of her family, Millicent was able to stay healthy and keep her children HIV-free. Now as an m2m Mentor Mother, she is proud to share her experiences and knowledge to help her clients start their own health journey.  

At the busy clinic, she and her fellow Mentor Mothers see about 40 to 50 people each day, working in close partnership with nurses and other staff at the health facility. They also go door-to-door in the community to reach people who need additional support, or have not visited the clinic or missed appointments. They can perform some services in homes, and can ensure these clients return to the facility for other services they need. Millicent says these community visits can be difficult because that’s when you see just how much people are struggling: “Sometimes I feel like there’s a heavy burden, like as if I’m carrying a heavy load. But I always tell myself I need to continue and keep on going,” she says. 

As the film ends, Millicent receives much deserved recognition with a surprise celebration to thank her for everything she has done for the community.  

“If it was not for you, I wouldn’t be standing here. Not me only but you did it for everyone in the community,” one of Millicent’s clients tells her.  

“You helped us to heal. You have given us the confidence to stand up and speak,” another client adds. 

m2m shares the gratitude for the tireless commitment of Millicent and the hundreds more m2m Mentor Mothers working across 11 countries who bring health and hope to their clients and community. We are also incredibly grateful to partners like Comic Relief who make their work possible. Comic Relief has generously supported m2m since 2010 and has been instrumental in helping us scale our work and pilot new approaches across South Africa and other countries.  

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