On wonderful women

This Wednesday marked the end of the first phase of my women's health promoter course Hogares Saludables. For the first four months, we worked together to understand health concepts from proper hand-washing techniques to different breast-feeding positions to cooking with healthy green vegetables. After the course, each woman took a final exam to become certified as a community health promoter, a hefty and important title that merits an official ID badge and certificate!

And next week, after they receive their official health promoter badge, phase two begins. The women will be trained on how to conduct house visits and educate their peers on important health topics like childhood health, chronic illnesses and HIV/AIDS. In six months, si dios quiere, we will be certifying the houses as "Healthy Homes" in a cool celebration full of stickers and cake! My women will then be in charge of educating a new group of health promoters and I will act as a supervisor for the second year of service.

Meet some of Copey's newest health promoters - hardworking ladies making a difference in our community. I'm so proud!

Franca is our oldest health promoter and will do an amazing job on the home visits as she is spunky and vivacious, just look at that grin!

Alida is my only student to have finished the course with a 100% attendance rate!

Ana, a community health promoter who cannot read, scored a 95% on her final exam and has been the group's biggest motivator.

Local colmado owner Bernadina is one of the brightest students and will be an amazing health worker, despite not knowing how to read.

Shiomara is an outspoken and motivated student, scoring 100% on her final exam!

Carmen, a sassy doña, is always the first to volunteer for my games, reviews and dinamicas. 

Solmerys' mother and brother passed away in the same week about a month ago. Two weeks later, she came to me and told me that she was still determined to finish the course. I spent weeks reviewing with her even though she was still mourning her loss. She was determined to finish and told me it was to make her mother proud. 

Carmen joined the group late but attended every single make-up session to ensure she earned her health promoter badge with the others!

Keki has been beyond helpful during the course, working patiently with the four illiterate women in our group. 

Malde told me on the first day that she didn't think she was smart enough to finish the course. Four months later, she was one of my highest scoring health promoters!

Noelia has been a lifesaver throughout the course. She takes attendance, reminds me to get back on track and keeps me organized.

Yesenia is the president of our Centro de Madre and my project partner. I consider her another one of my Dominican mothers and have grown very close to her during my year here. Together, we graduated sixteen women as health promoters, started our floor cleaner project, made batches and batches of mabi de palo (kombucha type juice made of sticks) and formed the Women's Center of Copey. I have no doubt that Yesenia will continue this work long after I leave.

This is Genesis, Yesenia's daughter. She's our honorary health promoter as she's only 13. She is the president of our youth group, Escojo Mi Vida, and has already approached me to start her own group in her church.

And here I am: Bea the Jefa (Boss).

Thanks for checking in!