Leah

For women who are still finding their way with digital tools, health platforms work best when they offer a guided entry, through trusted, moderated groups that highlight what matters first, instead of expecting users to navigate everything on their own.

How She Uses the Phone 

Leah is in her second trimester and was recently diagnosed with gestational hypertension. Because her husband travels often, she largely manages her pregnancy on her own. But the nearest health facility requires a bus ride, and she feels more confident going when her husband is with her. ​“Alone, the journey feels difficult,” she says. The WhatsApp group she was added to has therefore become very important, helping her manage daily health needs and plan clinic visits so she doesn’t miss anything.

Local nurses and community health volunteers share regular messages in the group about managing blood pressure. They also post updates on when they will be visiting the area to take BP readings for mothers with hypertension. Leah follows these messages closely. 

The group also shares immunisation information for young children like dates, screenshots, and simple lists. Leah uses these updates to check her two-year-old son’s vaccine booklet and plan what is coming next. ​“Sometimes I forget which one is next,” she says. ​“The messages help me check.”

Alongside this, the group keeps her on track with her ANC visits. Reminders like ​“This week is your ANC visit” or ​“Don’t miss your second trimester check-up” help her prepare in advance. The messages also explain why missing visits can delay identifying issues with blood pressure, iron levels, or the baby’s growth. ​“When they explain the reason, I take it seriously,” Leah says.

With her husband away and the journey to the clinic being tiring, the WhatsApp group helps Leah stay on top of both her health and her son’s, giving her guidance, timely reminders, and support she can rely on.

Her Ecosystem of Learning and Facilitation 

When Leah entered her second trimester, her community health volunteer added her to the mothers’ WhatsApp group. At first, the constant flow of messages felt confusing. ​“There was too much,” Leah says. ​“I didn’t know what to look at.” Noticing this, the volunteer showed her how to open the group info page and where to find pinned posts. ​“Start here,” the volunteer told her. ​“This is where we put ANC dates and important updates.”

At home, Leah’s neighbour helped her learn how to find older posters and links shared in the group. Earlier, whenever she couldn’t locate a message even after scrolling, she would walk next door with her phone. Her neighbour showed her how to use the media tab. After seeing this a few times, Leah learned how to reopen old files, save posters, and download immunisation schedules. ​“Now I don’t have to disturb her every time,” she says.

Later, Leah’s husband showed her how to use the search bar within the WhatsApp chat. 

Now, instead of scrolling through long threads, Leah searches for words like ​“ANC” or ​“visit” to quickly find past reminders.

Together, these small lessons have helped Leah use the group more confidently, allowing her to manage her pregnancy and her son’s immunisation needs with less worry and fewer missed steps.