After this, the promoters broke into their community groups and presented on everything they’ve been doing and their plans for the future as promoters. They broke their activities into the CDAP levels with group input. Then we did a vision for the future of the program exercise and also got input on what they want this august in terms of workshop content.

See the report April 2012 Monthly Report HERE (Spanish)

April 2012 Monthly Health Promoter Meeting Teach For Health - Health Education for Developing Communities Worldwide

Dance for Health 2012 – TFH’s Upcoming Fundraiser Teach For Health - Health Education for Developing Communities Worldwide

After playing telephone and other pump up games, we began our skits. The group of people running the meeting- Albany, Dinora, Sarah, and Zannah spent the majority of the time on a scene where alternate endings were played out based on the type of communication style that was used. The scene was a conflict between two promoters where one regularly attended the meetings and one rarely showed up. A conflict arose from the frustration that arose from this unequal participation in the group. There were four examples: one with a passive action, one with an assertive, another with passive-assertive, and another with mediation done by a program assistant. Each way that the scene was dealt with led to a different ending. At the end, each style was debriefed and people decided which skit was which type of conflict resolution.

The final activity was a competition where groups matched descriptions of the different types of conflict resolution to their corresponding papers. There is nothing like a little competition to get people engaged and excited- people were running here and there trying to match them and the fastest. At the end we talked about each style and where people thought the descriptions should go- if they should stay or move locations. This was a useful activity to get people to start thinking about the types of resolution and the activities associated with them. An example would be: description- yelling- matching style: aggressive.

In the end it was a success. Although it can be a challenging topic to discuss because it is so deeply personal and variant on the personality, culture, and context, the training started some interesting and important discussions relating to the subject. The promoters expressed the importance of getting along and serving and leaders within their communities. Conflict will arise everywhere but what matters is the ability to dispel and transform the situation to create a positive outcome for those involved is a skill that benefits the individual, group, and community.

Conflict Resolution and Leadership Seminar Teach For Health - Health Education for Developing Communities Worldwide

Guest speakers at the fair discussed violence as a social problem and encouraged open discussion of violence related issues. The UCA theater group also got the audience involved in a game designed to provide information about the different types of violence.

A local musical group and two local dance groups performed and the UCA invited community members to sell their produce, coffee, and other products. Mixed in with these for-sale items was a wealth of information and resources related to violence.

The Teach for Health program assistants put together a poster with information about the community health promoter program to spread awareness. They also contacted the local Ministry of Health who agreed to donate a box of condoms for us to pass out during the fair, along with informational handouts we compiled from previous promoter workshops and from the resources of UCA – San Ramon.

A local news group covered the event and even interviewed the program assistants! We were able to watch the interviews and the report of the event that night on three local channels.

An amazing estimated 300 people attended the event. It was a wonderful opportunity to provide support and open up discussion of the many types of violence that can affect the lives of people here and around the world.

La Feria de la No Violencia Teach For Health - Health Education for Developing Communities Worldwide

M – Medible (Measurable): projects should have measurable outcomes that can be tracked to evaluate success

E- Especifico (Specific): Specific endpoint to guide efforts and evaluation of the relative endpoints

T – Tiempo (Time): Promoters are encouraged to set a specific timeframe to achieve their goals

A – Alcanzable (Achievable): Realistic and achievable goals are important to build momentum and be able to see success.

META goals Teach For Health - Health Education for Developing Communities Worldwide

The promoters again requested an injection training seminar, with greatest interest in being able to provide contraception (Depo-Provera) to isolated women of their community. TFH is coordinating with the Ministry of Health to arrange such a training, while again emphasizing the scope of practice for health promoters, and the need to not exceed their level of medical training with focus on primary prevention and community organizing.

Many promoters advised TFH that they would be unable to attend the December monthly meeting since this was the time for the coffee harvest, and they would be needed on their family farms. It was decided that the December meeting would be cancelled, with TFH program assistants instead traveling out to each participating village to give 1 on 1 support for projects.

View the Spanish report.

November 2011 Promoter Monthly Meeting Teach For Health - Health Education for Developing Communities Worldwide

Week one brought Teach for Health volunteers to the communities of El Naranjo. Early morning, day one, volunteers brought Teach for Health materials and food to feed a small army of promoters up the hill from San Ramon. The workshop was held in an unused classroom in El Naranjo, home of a (nonpoisonous) snake that hung out in the rafters.

La escuela in El Naranjo, site of the first regional workshop.

Health promoters in La Corona modeling the voting process.

During the three days, promoters practiced one form of community diagnosis, leading a mock community meeting focused on identifying “los problemas más sentidos” in the community. Participants then discussed which of the top problems would be most feasible to address and analyzed root causes and possible solutions. In addition to introducing the problem identification and analysis process, the workshop provided close coaching of promoters by program assistants and TFH volunteers, enhancing their presentation and meeting facilitation skills.

After El Naranjo, Teach for Health facilitators conducted the same workshop in three other communities: La Corona, El Plomo and Monte Grande. During our visits, we were excited to learn that many of the participants had already scheduled community meetings to introduce themselves as health promoters to their communities. Many promoters felt that the workshop material could fit well into subsequent community meetings. After each of the three days, promoters received certificates of completion and community first aid kits.

Health promoters in the Monte Grande regional workshop.

Workshop facilitators were excited to witness the collaboration between new and veteran promoters. As we move into fall of 2011, we look forward to supporting all health promoters as they engage their communities to bring about meaningful change.

Written by Anita Roberts, RN

Masters Student, Advanced Public Health Nursing

UCSF School of Nursing

Community Diagnosis & Action Planning Workshop Teach For Health - Health Education for Developing Communities Worldwide

El Trentino: Health promoters are currently coordinating with the NGO ODESAR on projects for low income families. Water faucets are being constructed along with latrines, water purification/chlorination projects, as well as teaching on hand washing, discussions with local teachers to aid teaching on family planning for their students plus supplemental teaching by health promoters to young adults in the community.

Community Mina Verde #1: Promoters have recently given talks about themes including reproductive health, gender roles, community cleanliness, sexual and reproductive rights.

San Pablo Central: No current projects, is looking to develop and implement programs with children, women and family planning. Meetings for one on one project assistance by Teach for Health are planned.

Samulai #2: Has been working to identify problems for programs in the future, specifically within children and adolescents.

El Plomo: Has arranged for a comprehensive community meeting where community members will meet with the health promoters to collectively identify projects that they would like to work on, with the health promoters returning to help solidify project goals with TFH staff and program assistants.

La Pita: Current talks at the local school about hygiene (particularly hand washing). Household visits are planning for the beginning of 2012.

Samulai #1: Did a health talk with children and adolescents in the community.

Guadalupe: Health promoters from this community have decided to focus on the elderly and will be working with their community to open a senior center.

Cerro Grande: Is currently working with MINSA (Ministry of Health) to provide chlorine purified water to the community.

La Pacayona: Promoters are giving talks at the school and are looking for ideas that will help them gain community support with community cleanup projects.

Las Delicias: Is regularly using the first aid kit, and wants to open an infant nutrition center.

Monte Grande (La Reyna): Currently doing regular trash cleanups on the village streets and is giving school talks about various health topics to the students.

Promoters expressed a desire to get more presentation supplies (markers, white paper, tape) for community presentations. Finalizing photos and information about health promoters for the promoter profiles was also introduced as a topic for coming meetings. The meeting concluded with a discussion about the significance of self esteem (individual and in relationships), how to improve it, and causes of low self esteem. Planning a text messaging system that would reach the majority of the promoters to give notices about future meetings for better communication and attendance was introduced, with the concern that not all villages have cellular coverage.

The Spanish meeting summary is HERE.

September Health Promoter Project Summary Teach For Health - Health Education for Developing Communities Worldwide

Each day of the NI workshop brought a new surprise to the TFH crew (not uncommon
here in Nicaragua, as the team learned). Challenges included: arriving in town to find the
planned workshop location unavailable; the whole town without power, making copies of
handouts not possible. But it was valuable lesson in rolling with the punches, improvising, and throwing in games to keep everyone laughing in the meantime. We managed to pack A LOT into the
curriculum, and the NI crew was pretty exhausted at the end of each day.

Over the two weeks of training, promoters covered health topics in a framework that
examined issues at individual, community, and system levels. For example, participants
brainstormed barriers to stopping disease transmission, from individual habits to lack to
infrastructure such as trash collection. As a group we discussed reasons why people don’t wash
their hands: no access to soap and water, no concept of the need to clean hands,
inconvenience. Spreading glitter among their hands to represent germs, and singing a song
about hand-washing, the group practiced effective hand hygiene, scrubbing down with buckets
of water and soap in the courtyard. For the topic of diarrhea and dehydration, facilitators acted
out a skit to show symptoms of dehydration in a baby. Promoters looked up the topic in their
books, and topped off the lesson by making their own bottle of suero, oral rehydration solution,
out of salt, sugar, and banana for potassium. Hands-on activities like this are always popular.
We had several guest presenters as well. Everyone loved the impassioned sociodrama
on community organizing, full of Nica slang and funny antics. In light of the strong tradition of
herbal medicine in Nicaragua and especially in the campo, a presenter led a session on
medicinal plants. Then, another one of our TFH volunteers gave a presentation on diabetes,
going over the basics of the condition, which was new information for the majority of the
group. Two days were dedicated to First Aid, taught by the San Ramon firefighters.

Participants also explored the role of the promotora, a community health worker who
evaluates the needs of their community, shares information, provides basic treatment, and
works with the community to make healthy changes. After reviewing the obligations and
expectations of the promoter and TFH, each participant signed a memorandum of agreement
acknowledging their scope of practice. Promoters also practiced adapting their style of
communication to fit different individuals in the community, using techniques of therapeutic
communication, e.g. using open-ended vs. closed questions, validating feelings, sharing
observations of the other person. Finally, we spent ample time refining presentation skills to
encourage promoters to become comfortable giving charlas to groups. After drills on speaking
in a loud voice, using helpful body language and position, and making illustrated health
messages, the week culminated with each community group presenting a charla in either a
sociodrama, song, game, or poster presentation. Some groups were very creative, especially
hilarious was the drama of an elderly couple on health of ancianos. The final day was full of
team-building games with the promoters from last year’s group and a certificate ceremony.
But the highlight may have been the piñata that sent the group into squeals of delight and a
frenzy of scrambling on the floor for candy—who knew that would be such a hit?

New Intake Workshop 2011 Teach For Health - Health Education for Developing Communities Worldwide

Smoking Cessation Song Teach For Health - Health Education for Developing Communities Worldwide