Centres of Support and Skill

Centres for skills training, education and the support empowerment for women are central to the Mercy presence in Latin America and Central America. Update:

….It was nice to be here for the 6th anniversary of the Women’s House in Candela on Mercy Day. In just a few months there have been quite a few new developments in our area. The childcare centre in Candela has extended its services to include care for thirty-five 0 – 2 year olds from 8.00am till 2.30pm which enables many mothers to work so it is a great service. We also now have paved streets in the Hacienda where we live. Our neighbour said he has been waiting for this for 38 years! Last Saturday Jackie inaugurated another Women’s House in Huandoy which was officially opened by our Consul and the donors. This group of women have been functioning for 7 years in the parish premises which had become inadequate. Recently a special school offering alternative education for 90 kids who have “dropped out” or repeated was opened in 3 de mayo. This is under the auspices of Columban Fr Tony Coney.

As well as updating the backlog of administrative work on the health projects, a lot of my time has been spent getting approval from the Ministry of Health for the new Mercy Family Health Service (MFHS)… the plans were finally approved on 18 December and we are now awaiting the completion of the sanitary and electrical plans before work can begin, hopefully in January sometime. Situated in the same quadrangle as the Women’s House and Children’s House, the new two-storey MFHS will relocate the following services out of the Candela Women's House: General Medicine, Dermatology, Gynaecology, Dental, Psychology, Legal, Social Work, as well as proving space for health promoters to work. X-ray, laboratory and other specialist services will also be offered when sufficient funds become available. The plans also include an auditorium to continue health education and to cater for groups with special needs (persons with disability, senior citizens, etc)…The new construction will meet a big need in the area. While it is a huge project it is also very exciting!

Last week we had a visit from the donors of the new MFHS so a Blessing of the Land ceremony was held. It began with a march from the Women’s House and included a special Peruvian ritual to the “Pachamama” (Mother Earth) with some of the local women in traditional dress conducting a simple ceremony using incense, prayers in Quechua (one of the indigenous languages) and a burying some of the fruits of the earth on the site. It resembled some of the Aboriginal smoking ceremonies I have seen in Australia. Our Dr Sandra Oblitas gave an excellent summary of the health situation in Peru: 50% of the people living below the poverty line; 25% of children malnourished; -Peru has the highest rate in Sth. America of maternal deaths in childbirth… Each of the services which will be offered in the new building then each presented a symbol which was placed between two hangings of Catherine MCAuley and Our Lady of Mercy. The ritual concluded with my blessing the crowd with holy water and than a toast.

The health service continues to grow. Our dental service which offers lower cost treatment by professional dentists for 12 hours a week in each of the women’s houses served over 4,000 patients last year. Twenty health promoters continue to work in a voluntary capacity accompanying the sick and doing preventative work offering health education talks in the soup kitchens, schools etc. It is a privilege to work with these committed women many of whom are also poor. They have also organized 12 health campaigns during the year and 1,175 people have therefore received free or low cost specialist health treatment. A nutrition program enables 50 children to receive a midday meal and their mothers are receiving help from a multidisciplinary team to address the situation which mostly has its root causes in poverty.

The Women’s House in Cerro Candela also continues to flourish. 100 families in the “Heifer” Project have learnt how to raise guinea pigs, ducks and chickens and have begun market gardening and recycling. Our machine knitting and crochet group continue with their intensive training course. However, this project ran at a loss last year because of lack of markets for their alpaca / cotton goods. We are now investigating the possibility of some schools in Australia placing orders for jumpers, cardigans and accessories. Any suggestions for other outlets for these or any of the women’s goods would be greatly received!

On 30 December I will have been in South America 12 years and it has been an experience that has far exceeded any of my expectations! However, I am very mindful that none of the above would have happened without the support of so many people. I am very grateful to those of you who have sent donations, helped with fundraising activities, collected materials (toothbrushes, reading glasses, second-hand clothes etc.), and who have supported us with your interest and communication via email and letters and phone calls. Words seem inadequate to express my gratitude to so many for so much. It has indeed been an enriching and faith filled experience to be with the Peruvian people who have taught me so much about trusting in God’s Providence in the most desperate of situations and that the value of family and human relationships far outweighs material goods.

Gratefully,

Joan Doyle RSM

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