- Latin & Central America
Health with tradition
Every day, many people in Guatemala experience what it means to live with social inequality, discrimination, racism and poverty. With fatal consequences: Around 80 per cent of all children under the age of five in Guatemala suffer from malnutrition or undernourishment. Poor nutrition and untreated underlying illnesses increase the risk of poor people falling seriously ill, especially women and children.
This is where the work of the Rxiin Tnamet association in Guatemala comes in: it trains voluntary health counsellors who carry out culturally sensitive work in indigenous communities using traditional indigenous remedies and methods. This also includes dialogue in the local language, primarily Maya Tzutuhil. This not only helps to improve people's health, but also sets an example against ethnic discrimination.
Building up help on site
In addition to providing healthcare in the communities, Rxiin Tnamet runs a health centre in Santiago Atitlán with a laboratory, a pharmacy and a dental practice. With the help of volunteers, the partner is able to provide comprehensive healthcare and prenatal care: The volunteers are trained in workshops on the topics of health and nutrition and can then pass this knowledge on to their patients. For example, they provide women with medical care before, during and after pregnancy and improve their lives in the long term by passing on their knowledge.
This is what our joint success looks like
- Community pharmacies supply several thousand people with essential medicines and hygiene products
- Health promoters have been trained to provide basic health care
- The nutritional situation has been improved through radio adverts and nutrition courses
Sometimes we receive more donations for a project than was granted to the legal holder of the respective project. The projects listed here are examples of the work Misereor supports all over the world. If donations for a project exceed the amount granted to its legal holder, we allocate the surplus to other projects with a similar concept.
Our local partner organisations
Rxiin Tnamet
Since 1993, Rxiin Tnamet, a long-standing partner of Misereor, has made it its mission to bring healthcare services to rural communities. The training of health promoters plays a key role in this.
Suzanne Lemken
Donor Communications
- Telephone
- +49 241 442127
- suzanne.lemken@misereor.de
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