Health Education Centre for rural Peruvian communities

Vital Stats

Chantalle B

people helped1500
People Doing It 8

The Problem

The local schools, clinic and government in Ollantaytambo (in rural Peru) currently do not offer health education programs. The resulting lack of health knowledge contributes to a high prevalence of teen pregnancy, alcoholism, domestic abuse, and an over-reliance on antibiotics. Many women suffer from domestic abuse because they have seen their mothers endure the same treatment, and don't know they have a right to live without violence. The indigenous highland communities of the Sacred Valley also experience child malnutrition, high birth rates and parasitic infections due to a lack of access to national healthcare structures. The general lack of health knowledge not only negatively affects peoples' mental and physical health- it also disempowers them by taking control over their own health out of their hands.

Plan of Action

Our current programs include clinical volunteering, preparing a breakfast for rural clinic patients, collaborating with clinicians to put on nutrition workshops for young mothers, providing health classes for kids at the community center and sex-ed for teenagers in the schools. These programs have allowed us to have a positive impact on the community we live in (Ollantaytambo, population 2,500) as well as many of the surrounding highland communities whose inhabitants attend our clinic. Our clinical projects enhance the services and quality of care available at local clinics, and our health classes are much-enjoyed by the children we work with. The next step in developing a comprehensive health education program is setting up an Education Centre in the clinic where adults can find resources, classes and counselling on a variety of health issues. Our first priority is to offer mental health counselling services in order to provide support for the many family and relationship conflicts - including alcoholism, domestic abuse and parenting issues- that are commonly experienced in rural Peru.