Local Capacity Development
“I have meetings with women from my community in my home. I have taught personal hygiene, eating a well-balanced meal and about malnourished children.”
Partnering with interpreters who speak local Mayan languages and who are from the communities we visit with medical teams is one way in which we can work with rather than for the people of Guatemala in pursuit of our mission to promote health, healing and education in the Highlands. To build capacity among this key group of people who have a deep knowledge of needs, dynamics and resources in the communities we serve, we have implemented a training program with the goal of developing the interpreter role into a health promoter.
Our partner communities rely on Salud y Paz to be a trusted partner to build their resilience to prevent and manage illness. Salud y Paz’s health promotion program gives our patients and school families the tools to take more control over and improve their health. Integrated with our comprehensive medical and dental care and integral educational services, Salud y Paz provided daily education to patients, monthly education to students and caregivers, and home visits. The education sessions are participatory, and the curriculum is designed with input from the community.
“I feel happy, I feel self esteem. I can communicate with more people. I want to continue in the future.”
