Life Association - Patzun

This week I've been in Patzun with Asociacion Vida. Patzun is a market town in the mountains - not interesting or big enough to make it into the guidebooks. The majority of the population are indigenous and speak Cakchiquel. Asociacion Vida is passionate about 'integral mission'. They run a clinic and farmacy, but realise that many of the ailments of the local population are caused by the poor standards of living in the area, and that in turn is caused by the political and social structures which keep them poor and alienated from the decision making processes in their own communities. So alongside the clinic, for about 10 years now, they have facilitated community development in many of the surrounding villages and communities, many of them high in the mountains with little infrastructure. Initially this was focused on health promotion work, but has led on to a number of groups educating themselves about participative government. (15years ago, indigenous groups meeting together and talking about getting involved in decision making would have merited a visit from the military and even death.)

Now there's a network of womens groups and an association of community midwifes, who are fighting for better recognition from the health authority. In this area only 5% of births happen in hospital, the rest take place at home, often with earth floors, in rural villages and attended by local midwifes. Despite their wealth of experience and knowledge, the atitude of the health authorities towards them is still marked by prejudice and racism.

Over the last 8 years, Asociacion Vida has also run sexual health education projects within schools and colleges. (In Guatemala, the 15th birthday is like a coming of age for girls and many start having children before then. Yet sexual health or even puberty is not talked about within families or the education system). The programme teaches about puberty, self esteem and relationships, all based on Biblical principals. They are now teaching teachers to deliver the programme themselves, and are expanding it to include educating community leaders and churches. They also facilitate a series of workshops about integral mission for local pastors, helping them to see the social aspects of the gospel.

I have been really impressed.

Their vision isn't about buildings or giving money, like so many charities or NGO's, but it focuses on the local communities themselves, helping them to have confidence in themselves and to find solutions to the issues that effect them. They recognise that their work is long term - and over the years they have built up a reputation for facilitating and working alongside local communities and fighting for justice. As a result they're well respected by the communities. For exactly the same reason, they're not all that popular with the authorities and have recieved threats in the past, but they know that this is God's call for them and that He provides all they need and strengthens them in their work.