What motivates community health volunteers in Mecanhelas district, Mozambique? Report from a qualitative study

Conimunity health volunteers (CHVs) are an iniportant arm of the health care delivery system in Mecanhelas District, Mozanibique. Tlie CHVs receive limited incentives from the project's external donors. We report on a qualitative study conducted in 2002 to determine issues tliat influence niotivation of the CHVs. Respondents reported desire to have more incentives other than a bar of soap each month and food and accomniodation at workshops. Some of the responses drew from experience in neighbouring Malawi where several of the volunteers had been refugees during the Mozambique civil war. We suggest tliat incentives are an important aspect of volunteer work in the present setting. However an incentives system must be culturally acceptable, affordable and should not negatively affect the sustainability of a health program. The decision as to which incentives to give should be a consensus among the community, the volunteers and the project staff.