Sarvia Is Learning About Family Health
Sarvia Peña lives in a village about 3 miles from El Estor and received a biosand water filter about 9 years ago. The filter is still working well and is used daily by her family. Sarvia responded to an invitation the Q’eqchi’ Partners made through its Guatemalan partner, to register for a two-year course to train rural health workers. The course began in January 2022, once the meeting restrictions imposed by the Guatemalan government in response to the Covid pandemic had been relaxed somewhat.
She is grateful to be learning about family health, women’s health issues, and first aid along with about 20 other rural women. Sarvia’s home as well as the other homes in her village were flooded in the passing of Tropical Storm Julia in October 2022. She spoke about how many children have gotten sick and many have skin irritations. Nonetheless, she has been able to prevent those problems with her own children and has been able to counsel others in the prevention and treatment of those ills.
As the course has developed Sarvia now knows how to made a blood pressure reading and use a stethoscope. This equipment has been subsidized by our organization so that once the health workers finish their training they have some of the necessary tools to make a difference in the health of their families and their communities.
