The Vaccine: A Child’s Right and a Parent’s Responsibility – Mohsin’s Story of Dedication
Kapisa, Afghanistan – The mountainous area of Badrab Gaday-Khel in Tagab district of Kapisa Province—where harsh, uneven roads have long made daily life difficult—has today been transformed into a sign of hope.
Mohsin Sapi, a committed and active young man from this area, has spent nearly nine years fighting to protect children from the threat of polio.
During the autumn and winter seasons, travel difficulties in this area intensify, as rain and snowfall turn the paths to mud and restrict movement. Yet despite these challenges, Mohsin strives to reach every child so that none are left without the polio vaccine.
The First Steps Toward Gaining Trust
When Mohsin first joined the efforts to eradicate polio, he was just an ordinary volunteer, but he carried a firm determination to secure a safer future for the children of his community. He had seen the struggles of local residents with his own eyes and understood well how lack of information and awareness can alter the course of a child’s future.
Speaking about his early years of work, he says: “At that time, many families had little understanding of the polio vaccine. Because of false rumors and misinformation, some people rejected the vaccine and would not allow their children to be immunized.”
Despite this, nothing deterred Mohsin from his efforts—not the harsh climate conditions, nor the discouraging responses he often received from people.
“On the hardest days, I would tell myself that if I failed to fulfill my responsibility and did not deliver the vaccine to every child, they might contract polio, become paralyzed, and end up a lifelong burden on their family and community. That very thought gave me strength,” he says.
With that thought as his driving force, Mohsin reached out to every child each day, as if each one were a member of his own family.
For nearly nine years, the dedicated and active young Mohsin Sapi has been working in Tagab district to protect children from the threat of polio © Polio Free Afghanistan / 2025
Changing Mindsets: One Father and Three Children
Building public trust regarding the dangers of polio and the importance of vaccination was not easy; it required a great deal of patience and time.
Mohsin says this and recalls an incident he never forgets: “A family had three children, but the father had been influenced by false rumors about the vaccine and refused to have them immunized. I went to their home three days in a row. The father was distrustful, afraid, and full of questions.”
Mohsin explained the real dangers of the poliovirus to the family in simple, logical terms—the very dangers that can change a child’s healthy future in an instant. He showed them examples of children who had been paralyzed by polio and explained from a religious perspective that vaccination is a child’s right and a parent’s responsibility.
“On the third day when I went back, the father was convinced. He had his children vaccinated and prayed for me.”
This experience taught Mohsin an important lesson: “Convincing people takes time, but it is not impossible.”
From that day on, he became fully convinced that with patience, gentleness, and sincerity, even the most doubtful mind can be changed. Through this approach, dozens of families who once refused to vaccinate their children were persuaded—thanks to Mohsin’s words, conduct, and good intentions—to have their children immunized.
From Vaccinator to Team Leader
Over time, Mohsin’s role gradually expanded. His respectful interactions with people, his attentiveness in solving problems, and his ability to coordinate effectively during campaigns became clearly visible to the community. These very qualities led to him being entrusted with key coordination responsibilities for the polio vaccination campaign in his area.
Mohsin now works as a team leader for the polio vaccination campaigns in Tagab district. He helps clear the way for teams working in remote and difficult areas, trains volunteers, gathers information from the field, and shares it with the relevant authorities. He also holds regular meetings with religious scholars, teachers, tribal elders, and community leaders, listens to people’s concerns, and responds to them clearly and logically. Overseeing team assignments, organizing field operations, and monitoring the quality of the work are also part of his daily responsibilities.
Mohsin believes that the most crucial element of his work is trust. “If people trust you, they will not close a single door in your face,” he says.
His colleagues also praise his tireless spirit and say: “Mohsin never grows weary; with the support of his colleagues, he reaches every child.”
With this same dedication, Mohsin has created an atmosphere of trust, hope, and service among the mountain villages of Tagab—an environment that changes the lives of dozens of children every single day.
For Mohsin, eradicating polio is not just a job; it is a lifelong hope rooted in his heart and the central purpose of his life © Polio Free Afghanistan / 2025
Hope, Purpose, and the Dream of Afghanistan’s Future
For Mohsin, eradicating polio is not just a job; it is a lifelong hope rooted in his heart and the central purpose of his life. He dreams of the day when no child is left paralyzed due to lack of vaccine, and when Afghanistan can finally be declared completely free of the poliovirus.
Mohsin understands that the country’s future is tied to the healthy future of its children, those very children who, thanks to his efforts and the tireless work of thousands of other health workers and volunteers, are given a new path in life.
Mohsin’s story is not merely the account of one person’s efforts; it is the collective voice of the thousands of Afghan health workers and volunteers whose dedication and hopes drive them to confront challenges every single day, ensuring that not a single child is deprived of the right to vaccination.
His message is simple, yet profound: “Two drops can change a life… two drops can secure a future.”
