She’s never been to school in her entire life. She doesn’t know what year she was born and thus, doesn’t know how old she is. For years, she never came down from the mountains in which she lived. She never learned Spanish, nor to read or write. She only speaks Quechua. She’s been told by some of the men in her life that she shouldn’t be learning about her body. Her name is Exaltación, and she is one of the 9 community health workers in Ayni Wasi/ Sacred Valley Health’s Women’s Health Program.
Bertha
In 13 Quechua-speaking communities located in the mountains around the Sacred Valley of Peru, it is often unheard of for a woman to have a position of leadership. While this may be the custom within these communities, many women are yearning for experiences outside the traditional role of a homemaker. They want to be leaders…
Sofia’s Story
Once a month, we will be posting profiles of SVH promotores and docentes to introduce readers to our amazing community health workers. For our first post, we would like to introduce Sofia, who lives in the community of Rumira Sondormayo. Rumira Sondormayo is home to approximately 20 families and is located on the northern…
Learning to Coordinate
My eyes scan the mountainside, straining to glimpse a person, or animal, preferably both, making their way down the trail. Before I arrived in Peru, I wasn’t sure what exactly I would be responsible for as a Community Coordinator. Today, it is abundantly clear to myself, five Clemson University students, and two of my bosses,…
Health Chats and Potatoes in Chupani
Lesson prep: Flora packs her community health worker essentials before house visits One early morning in the community of Chupani, promotora Flora prepares herself for the day. First, she feeds her two young children a warm breakfast of soup and potatoes. She then packs her community health worker essentials: a binder filled…
INTO THE VALLEY 