Promotores Para El Futuro

Promotores Para El Futuro. This is the new name the community health workers (CHWs) of Peru chose for their program, a name that perfectly embodies the optimism, spirit, and grit we witnessed amongst the new cohort of CHWs. 

When the MGY team arrived at the Project Amazonas station, we were pleasantly surprised by the number of community members that came to receive our training. We optimistically–or so we thought–projected the number to be 25, but we were happy to welcome all 34 individuals that showed up to the training. Community members ranged in age from 12 to 70s and represented over 15 communities. 

The team was blown away by the dedication and performance of the newly trained CHWs. Everyone was engaged and excited to share and help one another. The CHWs were trained and assessed on vital signs: temperature, pulse, respirations, and blood pressure. The outstanding scores on these assessments were a testament to the dedication, studying, and practicing of the CHWs during and after our training sessions.

Along with vital signs, we covered a good number of topics: burn care, introduction to osteopathic manipulative therapy, diarrhea, oral rehydration, dosage safety for medication, dengue fever, wound care/hemorrhage, and intestinal parasites. We were able to accomplish so much in only four days, but the CHWs eagerly soaked it all up.

At the end of the training, CHWs proudly received shirts, tablets loaded with the MGY app, and backpacks filled with supplies and medications. The group decided on the new name for the program and chose a new logo (a cross with a green parrot).

Five of the thirty-four CHWs present had previously received training, so they were graduated to their new roles as advanced CHWs. Two of these individuals, Jairo and Sucy, were hired to be on-the-ground correspondents for MGY. With the expansion of the program, the CHWs will be able to reach a larger number of people, treating them and referring them to local clinics.

The MGY team is pleased with how well the training went, and we are excited for the future of this program. Promotores Para El Futuro is changing their community, and we are proud to play a role in it all.