Escolástica's Story
After working as a community coordinator for Sacred Valley Health for the past 8 months, I have witnessed the incredible ripple effect of empowering promotoras (community health workers) to lead change in their rural communities. My
main role this year has been to support the promotoras in extending learned health knowledge to their communities. This entails teaching basic health topics such as nutrition, first aid and maternal health at our health trainings, in addition to preparing
promotoras for community presentations.
A few months after I arrived in Peru, one promotora, Escolástica, was hired as a SVH community coordinator because of her impressive work as a promotora. It was her first office job, so I had the great joy of accompanying her in her
new role. I helped orient her on office and computer tasks, in addition to community visits. We have spent hours walking along dirt roads and up mountains together.
Her humility, cultural sensitivity and patience allow her to connect with the promotoras in a profound way. Because she is a promotora herself, she has a unique ability to explain health topics in a language that the promotoras understand.
Her fluency in the local Andean language of Quechua also adds to this effective communication and teaching. Her passion and determined resolve to help these women and communites inspire me everyday.
Empowering Sacred Valley Health Promotoras (Community Health Workers) to follow in Escolástica's footsteps
With your support, we hope to have more promotoras follow in Escolástica's footsteps. We currently have two training cycles of promotoras, with plans to initiate a third cycle in the fall. Escolástica is in the first cycle, and we
hope to bring on one promotora from the second cycle and each new cycle in the future, in an effort to ensure sustainability within our program.
While I love my job, I recognize that the promotoras are far more qualified than I am for this work. They have been through the program themselves, so they can speak from their own experiences as promotoras. Furthermore, this leadership
program will give the promotoras the opportunity to learn about other communities, and to teach health topics, which will enhance their ability to serve their own communities.
Sponsor The Phillips Family Inca Trail Trek to Machu Picchu to Support Promotora Leadership and Sustainability
Short term, international volunteers are not able to give SVH promotoras the accompaniment and support they deserve. As Escolástica's story has shown us, there is a solution. Escolástica's salary for 1 year is $2,000 ($166/month).
Join us as a family in funding another year of Escolástica's work, in addition that of future promotoras.
Our trek is May 4th-May 7th, 2014. Please help us reach our fundraising goal by the time we summit one of the 7 wonders of the world.
¡SULPAYKI! ¡GRACIAS! THANK YOU! - The Phillips Family
