Ms. Freeman was inspired to study nursing by her desire to serve her fellow Liberians. After graduating from her nursing degree with honors, Ms. Freeman admirably chose a difficult position as her first assignment—to serve as a Community Health Services Supervisor (CHSS), the nurse cadre that oversees community health workers in Liberia’s national community health program. In her role as a CHSS, she strengthens and supports Liberia’s critical health workforce through mentoring, coaching, and supervising community health workers (CHWs), who provide PHC services to the most vulnerable populations in the country. Her supportive supervision allows the CHWs to thrive and ultimately advance Liberia’s UHC aims. Ms. Freeman’s work is both challenging and fulfilling—she chose this position to gain insight on how patients behave in their communities before coming to the clinic. This intimate knowledge and connection to the community enables her to better provide healthcare, focusing on promoting health behaviors and preventative services at the community level and thus strengthening the continuum of care at the facility level.

Learning to ride the motorbike transformed the way I thought about gender equity. Before, I had this belief that only a man could ride the motorbike. But when I got the community health job, the only means of supervising community health workers was to ride a motorbike. I am happy to report that I now ride a motorbike as much as a man can. I always have this saying in mind: ‘Never let your dream die because of obstacles in your way. Work hard; doors will open.'”