Gender Equality Dominican Republic Project #36639

Empower 15 women as leaders, Improve health of 600

by GRACE Cares, Inc.

Project Report | May 5, 2022
Update #13 - "The CHL Program saved my life."

By Marissa Doiron | Executive Director

Beri (right) with Program Coordinator Juana

As you may know, we recently participated in GlobalGiving’s Little by Little bonus matching day to raise funds for yet another iteration of our Community Health Leadership course. Thanks to generous donors like you, we are going to be initiating the 2022 cohort of leaders in June. Our team is recruiting women from throughout the various communities of Baitoa, and we’re expecting to enroll another amazing group!

In case you missed it, here is a story from Beri, a CHL who graduated in 2017, highlighting the importance of the CHL Program.

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“The Community Health Leadership Program literally saved my life.”

As a young girl, her mother died of illness. Because her father was so poor, he gave her and her sister to different families to be raised. At 20 years old she got married, her adoptive father died, and she discovered she had heart problems and had to get a pacemaker. Her husband would get drunk and beat her, but every time she tried to leave him pressure from family and cultural expectations would force her to return. After 16 years in this physically and emotionally abusive marriage, she was finally able to escape. She had worked in upholstery to build a comfortable life for her family, but she and her teen son had to leave everything and completely start over. If they hadn’t, her husband would have killed her.

Beri’s life was full of tragedy and hardships, so it’s no surprise that in 2016 she was suffering emotionally.

Beri described her condition at the time: “I didn’t sleep, I didn’t eat, I wanted to be alone all the time, and I cried a lot. I didn’t want to be alive. Nothing made me happy. I just wanted to go somewhere far away and end my life. I didn’t consider my son, because for me, there was no point to living.”

Her sister urged her to see a therapist, but Beri had no strength left to fight. Around the same time, Project Hearts was recruiting women for the Community Health Leadership Program. Juana, who at the time was the assistant for the course, had known Beri since they were younger, but had no idea what she was going through. Juana had always thought of Beri as a natural leader, though, so she encouraged Beri to participate in the class.

Beri was isolating herself, but thanks to the insistence of her sister and Juana, Beri finally gave in and enrolled in the 2017 cohort of CHLs.

She ended up really enjoying the course, and Beri started noticing that her life was changing for the better. She was learning new information about health, and her classmates made her feel important, calling her and forming friendships outside of class. “But my biggest surprise,” says Beri, “came on the day when we learned about depression, which is a mental disorder. All the symptoms of depression were what I had been feeling. I started crying and right there in class I said, ‘That’s what I have.’”

Once Beri understood that she had depression, she began putting into practice everything she learned in the CHL course about how to treat her symptoms. As a result, Beri’s life has completely changed. She’s started working in upholstery again, and is actively involved in giving health workshops in her community. Beri admits that she still has negative thoughts sometimes, but now she knows why and is intentional about keeping them in check. She feels happy and optimistic.

Beri says that the CHL Program and her classmates ended up being the therapy she needed, and she’s not sure she’d be here to tell her story if it weren’t for her involvement. Beri is very grateful for the new life she’s living.

Beri and the graduating class of 2017

Beri leading a workshop on hygiene and COVID

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Jan 17, 2022
Update #12 - Does it really make a difference?

By Marissa Doiron | Executive Director

Leaders in San Jose Adentro, Baitoa

We often present stories of how individual women have changed as a result of their training in community health and leadership – a young mother opting to breastfeed her new baby because she now knows it’s healthier; an older graduate continuing her health education by enrolling in nursing classes; a wife who is better able to express herself and therefore has a better relationship with her family.

There are countless little examples of how our students’ lives have improved thanks to their involvement with the CHL course.

But does the program really make a difference in the transformation of entire communities?

Recently we conducted self-evaluations in a few communities, and these gatherings indicated that yes, teaching Community Health Leadership to women has a meaningful, positive impact on community development.

During each evaluation the majority of attendees were CHL graduates, and seeing these leaders – both young and more mature – assembled together was powerful.

They were strong, united, opinionated, and passionate about how their neighborhoods have already grown, and what is still needed to ensure their communities continue to advance.

No longer just recipients of the help we offer – the women were active participants in deciding how to improve their lives into the future, advocating for the resources their communities need. They have big dreams and goals for themselves and their families.

One of the most frequently mentioned desires from all our respondents was that we continue training women to be leaders, and we certainly hope to accommodate their request. To offer the Community Health Leadership course in 2022, we need to raise about $9,000 – we greatly appreciate the generosity you have already shown us, and would be so grateful if you would consider supporting us again, or inviting your friends & family to do so.

Many thanks to you for empowering us to train 18 women over the past 3 years, ultimately impacting more than 522 children and adults with health education.

Guiding the future of the community

Leaders in Dona Agueda

Describing improvements seen, and future goals

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Sep 28, 2021
Update #11 - Celebrate with us!!!

By Marissa Doiron | Senior Advisor

Congrats, graduates!!!

On August 28 one of my favorite events of the year took place: Graduation of our newest Community Health Leaders.

We took our 9 graduates to lunch at a restaurant at the popular Taveras Dam, where many of the women have never had the means to visit, despite it being just a few minutes from Baitoa. The group shared a meal, most electing seafood – another special treat for them, then we handed out diplomas.

Afterwards, the class then surprised their teacher, Juana, with a plaque honoring her dedication to health education and empowering women. Juana was actually a student in the first cohort to graduate, and later became a teaching assistant for the course. In 2019 we promoted her, and Juana became the lead instructor - because of delays due to COVID, this is actually the first groups she's graduated!

Our younger graduates expressed their hopes that other girls will continue to enroll in the CHL course because they discovered the importance of learning how to prevent health problems, and they want their generation to be empowered with knowledge that their parents and grandparents didn’t have.

For many of the ladies, this was the first time they’ve been recognized formally for their hard work. In DR, it’s traditionally expected that women focus only on cooking, cleaning, and caring for children, and often they don’t receive the gratitude they deserve for their efforts.

All of our graduates have shown that they’re not satisfied with these social norms, however, and they’ve surpassed expectations to become leaders who are committed to improving the health and well-being of not only their own families, but of their entire communities as well.

We now have 68 women throughout Baitoa and La Vega inspiring others to empower themselves with health education, and we couldn’t be prouder of them all!

We hope to start a new cohort early next year, and we still have dreams of offering the course to a group of Haitian women, who are very excited about the opportunity. We would be supremely grateful for any extra support you could continue to give.

Professor Juana with her special recognition

Escarlin expressed her hopes for other young women

These friends travelled 2hrs to class every week!

Links:

Check out all the photos of the special day on our Facebook page

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