Project Outline
Proyecto Doctoritas is a three-year program that aims to improve the overall health of El Triunfo by providing the villagers with accessible health educators- the Doctoritas. In order to become Doctoritas, the girls went through a 5-week training program that we designed. In return for their work with our program, the girls receive scholarships to middle school. In addition to our goals for the health of the community, we hope to broaden the horizons of the Doctoritas in the program.
Year One: Preparation, Training, and Project Launch
After the girls had been selected, we traveled down to El Triunfo to begin planning the details of the project. We met with the doctors and nurses at the health clinic and determined a curriculum that focused on basic health issues and sickness prevention relevant to this area of Guatemala. This included lessons about hygiene, parasites, and common illnesses. The girls received 2 lectures a week at the health clinic and three days of supplementary training from us. This included reviewing the lectures, improving public speaking skills, and training for the house visits that take place throughout the year. We also took our time in Guatemala as an opportunity for research. In order to gain a better understanding of the people and their health concerns, we conducted a census while the Doctoritas were in school. We also gained an inside look at the Guatemalan healthcare system by shadowing the doctors and employees of the health clinic.
After the six-week training had finished, the Doctoritas graduated from our program. They are now responsible for passing on their knowledge to their fellow villagers. Once a month the Doctoritas are required to give a health lecture to several families in town that we have determined to be the most at risk to common illnesses. The Doctoritas do not diagnose illnesses or prescribe any treatments; they do encourage sick members of the community to seek medical attention. Members of the community act as our field managers and keep us updated on our Docoritas. We have also created an email account for the girls so that we can keep up with them as well. Feel free to ask us questions about our work. Our complete course plan is available upon request.
Years Two and Three: Additional Training and Research, and Project Alterations
We will return to Guatemala in the summers of 2011 and 2012. Maintaining our relationship with the people supporting our project and the Doctoritas themselves is extremely important to us. We intend to offer the girls additional and more in-depth health education lectures in conjunction with the health clinic on each visit. We also intend to update the census each year in order to measure the impact of the program and to make sure that it is still relevant. These trips also offer an opportunity to alter the program in any way we see fit, this could include expansion of the doctoritas' responsibilities and structural changes within the program.
Expected Outcomes and Future Plans:
Using the data from the various censuses we will complete, we will assess the effectiveness of our program. We hope to see a major decline in preventable illnesses. At this point, we – the students from Wellesley College – will decide whether we can continue to oversee and fund the program. We will also decide whether to continue with the same structure, or alter the project.
Year One: Preparation, Training, and Project Launch
After the girls had been selected, we traveled down to El Triunfo to begin planning the details of the project. We met with the doctors and nurses at the health clinic and determined a curriculum that focused on basic health issues and sickness prevention relevant to this area of Guatemala. This included lessons about hygiene, parasites, and common illnesses. The girls received 2 lectures a week at the health clinic and three days of supplementary training from us. This included reviewing the lectures, improving public speaking skills, and training for the house visits that take place throughout the year. We also took our time in Guatemala as an opportunity for research. In order to gain a better understanding of the people and their health concerns, we conducted a census while the Doctoritas were in school. We also gained an inside look at the Guatemalan healthcare system by shadowing the doctors and employees of the health clinic.
After the six-week training had finished, the Doctoritas graduated from our program. They are now responsible for passing on their knowledge to their fellow villagers. Once a month the Doctoritas are required to give a health lecture to several families in town that we have determined to be the most at risk to common illnesses. The Doctoritas do not diagnose illnesses or prescribe any treatments; they do encourage sick members of the community to seek medical attention. Members of the community act as our field managers and keep us updated on our Docoritas. We have also created an email account for the girls so that we can keep up with them as well. Feel free to ask us questions about our work. Our complete course plan is available upon request.
Years Two and Three: Additional Training and Research, and Project Alterations
We will return to Guatemala in the summers of 2011 and 2012. Maintaining our relationship with the people supporting our project and the Doctoritas themselves is extremely important to us. We intend to offer the girls additional and more in-depth health education lectures in conjunction with the health clinic on each visit. We also intend to update the census each year in order to measure the impact of the program and to make sure that it is still relevant. These trips also offer an opportunity to alter the program in any way we see fit, this could include expansion of the doctoritas' responsibilities and structural changes within the program.
Expected Outcomes and Future Plans:
Using the data from the various censuses we will complete, we will assess the effectiveness of our program. We hope to see a major decline in preventable illnesses. At this point, we – the students from Wellesley College – will decide whether we can continue to oversee and fund the program. We will also decide whether to continue with the same structure, or alter the project.