Continuing our new series profiling the incredible employees at the Maternidad
Please meet Zoraida Mezones Sánchez,
one of Maternidad’s three home-visit nurses
For decades, a critical service provided by the Maternidad has been a Home Visit Program to bring medical care and social services to the poorest in Chimbote who may not even have the few Peruvian soles needed to travel to the Center (approximately 50 cents in US dollars).
The program was initiated by Sr. Lillian Bockheim, a Dominican Sister who served in Chimbote from 1967 to 2023. For the last 34 years, Zoraida, a nurse technician, has been a constant presence on the teams visiting these poor barrios.
Zoraida started part time with COS in the late 1980s in the tuberculosis program, eventually going full time as this initiative required personal visits to contagious patients. The home visit program was later extended to address a range of other medical needs.
Visiting several of these patients each week, in such abysmal living conditions, would understandably take a toll on the most compassionate of individuals. However, as Zoraida told us, “…a very significant moment during my first years of work at the Maternidad was when I met Padre Julio Roos, Mother Margarita, and Mother Lillian. We went out on home visits—spending a week with each young mother—seeking out pregnant patients and people with limited financial resources. And that is the reason why I continue in this great mission: because every family I encounter reflects my own childhood. I grew up with many hardships—there were ten of us siblings—so I identify deeply with every family. Today, I give thanks to God for providing me with what I need. I never forget my roots or my humility, and I am very proud to be part of the Maternidad family. I will continue serving with that beautiful love that our leaders bestowed upon us; they will live on forever in our hearts.”
“[W]hat I like most about my job is being able to help those who have the least—and, above all, the most vulnerable groups: mothers, children, and the elderly. The reason I have stayed on to work here is that my greatest motivation in my professional life is the opportunity to serve those in need. That is what I love about it, because my workplace is my second home.”
“To our donors in the United States,” Zoraida added, “First, I would like to thank you for so much kindness, and to let you know that we continue working on this mission of love and hope for the people most in need—and that every single contribution, no matter how small, will be put to excellent use for the most vulnerable individuals. Many blessings to all our benefactors.”