Peru
Projects in Peru
Health
Community Health
The Community Health Project has been active in Peru since 2002. Community Health Facilitators work directly with health service providers and school professionals to promote healthy behaviors that will contribute to the reduction of malnutrition, anemia, and adolescent pregnancy in rural communities.
Community Health Facilitators build the capacity and enhance the efforts of health professionals and community health promoters to encourage the adoption of healthy behaviors, increasing the effectiveness of the Integrated Health Service Model.
Community Health Facilitators also leverage relationships and capacity-building methodologies to work effectively with health service providers and school professionals to build their capacity to deliver curriculum focused on sexual reproductive health and life skills, and to provide systems of support to youth to make positive lifestyle choices. This work entails collaborating with local high schools to form youth peer educator groups to help promote and sustain healthy behavior change, such as improved life skills, leadership, adolescent pregnancy, and STI prevention. Community Health Facilitators use interactive and participatory training approaches to role model how to train to sexual and reproductive health topics more effectively so teachers and youth peer educators learn how to apply these training methods in their work.
Water, Sanitation and Hygiene
The Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) project began in 2008 after a major earthquake struck the southern zone of Peru. WASH Facilitators focus on building the capacity of local government authorities and local water committees to develop Water and Sanitation Safety Plans and stronger management practices of the water and sanitation services.
WASH Facilitators work with the Technical Municipal Area to build working relationships with the local water committees and train them to increase their capacity in administration, operation and maintenance of the water and sanitation services. At local health centers, WASH Facilitators work with the environmental health personnel or the health promotion area to strengthen sanitation education training in households and schools. This work could include maintaining water treatment systems, building latrines, and teaching proper hand washing techniques.
Community Economic Development
The Community Economic Development (CED) project has been active in Peru since 2002. The CED program seeks to enhance the capacity of the most vulnerable populations, especially women and youth in rural communities, to expand their economic opportunities in income generation, entrepreneurship and financial education so that they can achieve economic security and improve their quality of life.
Community Economic Development Facilitators collaborate with a variety of community leaders, including Economic and Social Development Government offices, women’s groups, teachers, and community-based organizations. Their work includes teaching basic personal money management skills such as budgeting, savings, separating business from personal accounts, and developing community savings groups to offer savings and lending services at the community level. Additionally, CED Facilitators train youth in entrepreneurship and basic business skills at high schools and technical institutions and train high school teachers in planning and facilitating entrepreneurship courses for their students.
Youth in Development
The Youth Development project has been active in Peru since 2004. Youth Development Facilitators work directly with youth service providers and youth to help build life skills, enhance their engagement in the community, and develop healthy life choices. One of the primary roles a Youth Development Facilitator plays is working with the local high schools by supporting the implementation of their tutoring program. During tutoring classes, Youth Development Facilitators work with tutoring coordinators to co-facilitate education topics focused on life skills, self-esteem, career orientation, and youth peer support.
Youth Development Facilitators support local health post staff who are expected to deliver youth health education classes at the local schools focusing on sex education and alcohol/drug abuse prevention. Youth Development Facilitators also have opportunities to coordinate with the local municipality to facilitate summer school classes and to promote the implementation of a youth development committee comprised of community stakeholders who are invested in promoting youth development.