SOCIAL WORK, LEGAL ADVICE & HEALTH CARE
These programs provide a variety of services to people in Estelí and its surrounding communities.
COUNSELING & WORKSHOPS
The program provides professional counseling to several groups supported by the Foundation, including women students in the Cooperative´s education programs. We also run workshops twice a month for up to 30 prisoners in Estelí’s local penitentiary. The health program offers the services of a woman psychologist with 20 years experience assisting women and young people.
LEGAL ADVICE
In 2003 the program began a legal aid service to prisoners in the local penitentiary who would otherwise not have access to adequate legal advice. We have assisted dozens of prisoners who have suffered unfairly through not having a lawyer. Currently we are developing work with women at risk in marginal barrios of Estelí and assisting low-income families cope with the legal requirements necessary to carry out basic procedures such as getting the mandatory national identity card - known as the "cédula".
PRACTICAL SKILLS
Women and young adults receive practical classes to improve their life skills. Among other initiatives, the project promotes weekly lessons in cake-making, traditional artisan crafts and fine arts. This not only teaches them useful skills, but also creates an environment in which their daily problems are put aside. The women and girls get further involved in interactive chats about domestic violence, gender issues, labor rights and family planning.
 Gladys Ruiz taking blood pressure |
Luisa
Duarte
teaching crafts while Gladys Ruiz imparts preventive health care advice |
HEALTH CARE
The
health program supports
participants in the various projects and inmates of the local
penitentiary, offering:
- medicines at very reduced prices
- general medical attention twice a month
- specialist attention at reduced cost
- workshops and talks on preventive health care
- monitoring of blood pressure and blood sugar for high risk individuals
- preventive
health care for over 300 children in low-income barrios in Esteli and
another 300 in similar barrios in Matagalpa
The principal beneficiaries currently are:
- an average of 40 students in the education programs and their families
- over 70 children in the pre-school program and their families
- 20 project and program workers
- around 60 students of the school's night class program
The health program has also facilitated many donations of equipment and medicine to other local community health organisations.