“We now know that healthy habits make the difference between having a strong and healthy community or continuing to take our babies to the hospital,” says Gladis Gómez, the President of a rural health committee funded by the EU and trained by the Guatemalan Red Cross.
In Guatemala, where more than 50% the population live below the poverty line, these committees, mostly led by rural women, play a big role in sharing reliable health information with their local communities.
The EU works with the International Federation of the Red Cross (IFRC) in 24 countries across the world to guarantee that local health committees receive quality training to support their communities.
Thanks to this Programmatic Partnership, IFRC, member National Societies, and the EU support communities worldwide in reducing their risks and being better prepared for disasters and health emergencies.
Gladis Gómez wears a purple Huipil, a traditional outfit worn by people from the mountainous, western part of Guatemala. The colour represents mourning, as she sadly lost a distant relative a few days earlier.
© IFRC, 2023 (photographer: D.Quijano)
Gladis is the President of her village’s health committee, Xecaracoj. The committee brings together a dozen rural women who receive training on key health issues by the Guatemalan Red Cross to promote healthy practices.
© IFRC, 2023 (photographer: D.Quijano)
The women go door to door to explain how people can prevent common diseases and deaths, especially among children. Their work is vital: Guatemala has one of the highest rates of child malnutrition in the world.
© IFRC, 2023 (photographer: D.Quijano)
“We have spread the knowledge given to us by the Guatemalan Red Cross to inform men, boys and girls about simple things like hand washing, cleaning our homes and streets, and the importance of breastfeeding and nutrition,” says Gladis.
© IFRC, 2023 (photographer: D.Quijano)
So far, 1,250 families in the rural area of Quetzaltenango, western Guatemala, have received valuable and trusted health advice provided by local health committees like the one Gladis leads.
© IFRC, 2023 (photographer: D.Quijano)
Gladis is proud of her work and that she and her fellow health committee members´ voices are being heard. They are even using radio spots, information kiosks and WhatsApp to share their knowledge more widely.
© IFRC, 2023 (photographer: D.Quijano)
“Tomorrow I will wear a yellow Huipil to represent the colour of life, the rays of the sun, and corn,” says Gladis while weaving a corte – a traditional Mayan skirt. “The women of this community are very special: we have the knowledge to protect life.”
© IFRC, 2023 (photographer: D.Quijano)
