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Articles:
Introduction
Solar Energy for Belize
Press Release: Lakota Indians Defing DEA
Kids to the Country
By Lisa Wartinger
(Plenty board chair Bruce Curtis and staff member Lisa Wartinger were in Belize in November, to orient our new coordinator, Melanie Reimer, and develop Plenty Belize program plans for 2001)
The newly graduated Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs) of Plenty’s Midwifery training project are now on to the next phase of the program. This consists of monthly continuing education (CE) meetings facilitated by a Belizean TBA, Concha Velasquez, and guest speakers. Plenty Belize coordinator, Melanie Reimer, and I attended November’s CE meeting, which was held at the Plenty Belize office. As this particular group of women speak three different languages (Mopan and Kek’chi Maya, and English), translation is a necessity. Watching the interplay of the discussion and translation amongst the different groups was a little like watching a small orchestra at work. When a topic was initiated by Concha, it was first discussed a little by the English-speaking participants. Then the dialog was summarized into Kek’chi or Mopan by Remigia, the group translator, and it was the Mayan women’s turn to light up, as they discussed the various points that were made and added stories of their own. Afterwards, Remigia would return to the English speakers and translate back. At times it was a slow process, but it ensures that the important points are being heard by everyone. It was refreshing to see the women’s patience with each other as the dialog unfolded.
Plenty midwife trainer, Debora Flowers, distributes birthing kits to women who completed training.
Click to enlarge. (Photo by Doug Stevenson)
It’s clear that these meetings are important on many levels. Reinforcement of key educational topics is the overall purpose, but it may be just as important to have an opportunity to encourage women from different villages and backgrounds to listen to each other, support each other’s education, and problem-solve in a group. Like the training class, it’s also a safe space to explore other issues as they come up, such as the roles of men and women, and daughters and teen pregnancy. Attending the last class were women of Mopan and Kek’chi Maya, Mestizo, Creole, American, and Canadian origin. It’s interesting to see how the ethnic lines and roles (trainees, trainer, and observers) can blur given the universal significance of those bigger picture issues. When someone brought up the changing roles of men and women in their villages, I told them that when I’m in Belize doing work for Plenty, my husband is home taking care of our daughter, the house, and the animals. Their eyes widened and I think their minds did a little also.
The Continuing Education classes will be only one part of Plenty Belize’s overall health program in 2001. Through the TBA training pilot project, many training needs related to improving access to health education and health care for Mayan women were identified. During our recent visit, we had numerous discussions with local medical staff and with representatives from other governmental and community organizations about these ideas in order to gather their input. Plenty Belize intends to address some of these training needs through its Health Education Program in 2001. The overall goal of this program will be to improve the skills of existing Mayan village level health workers in the management of emergency childbirth and other requested topics. These health care workers include the Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs) and Community Nurse’s Aides (CNAs). The CNAs represent the front line in handling medical emergencies in the often-remote Mayan villages by diagnosing and referring patients to the local hospital when necessary, by monitoring public health in the villages, as well as treating minor medical problems. Strengthening the skills of the CNAs and the working links between them and the TBAs will result in an improved network of care for Mayan women and children.
We’re excited by the overall possibilities unfolding for Plenty in this area. In closing, I want to take this opportunity to give special thanks and recognition to Deborah Flowers, our TBA trainer, whose hard work and dedication made this program a reality.