10-Year Celebration of the Association of Community Health Educators, Brazil

10-Year Celebration of the Association of Community Health Educators, Brazil

Brazil’s Shantytown Health Clinic celebrates its ten year anniversary. The Clinic, founded by global mission volunteer and past Global Ministries missionary Barbara de Souza, is providing a much needed service to the poorest communities of Rio de Janeiro.

Brazil’s Shantytown Health Clinic celebrates its ten year anniversary. The Clinic, founded by global mission volunteer and past Global Ministries missionary Barbara de Souza, is providing a much needed service to the poorest communities of Rio de Janeiro.

10-Year Celebration Of The
Association of Community Health Educators
1996 –2006

ImageIn February of 1996, one of the worst floods Rio de Janeiro, Brazil has ever suffered occurred and one of the places most hit was the shantytown where Barbara de Souza, Global Mission Volunteer and past Global Mission Personnel, was giving classes for the training of community health educators in Jacarepagua, Rio de Janeiro, Brasil. The scene was tragic — a total loss for the families who lived alongside the canal next to the shantytown’s main road. Beyond the main road mud took 85% of the homes. The canal overflowed with sewer water and people were knee deep in it. Rats infested everything and were everywhere.

The newly trained health educators were called into action. The first task was to get vaccines for protection against tetanus and other diseases. The city health department was then contacted and the health educators began vaccinating. This action and the health courses given by Barbara called the attention of the public health authorities. As time went on, the population of this shantytown wanted the health educators to continue working in the community.

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Front of second building, now the entrance to the clinic

The small group of health educators made news headlines and caught the attention of four pharmaceutical companies that offered to donate monies to establish a permanent health clinic. At this time, the group worked from the rooftop of one of the shantytown huts. With their newly found support they were able to buy the second floor of one of the homes on the opposite side of the canal that had a living room, one bedroom and a kitchen. The Association of Community Health Educators was founded, registered and the first free clinic was formed staffed by volunteers, including the physicians.

In 1999, the city health department signed a contract with the Association for a new health program called the Family Health Program, Preventative Medicine Through Health Education – something right up the line of Barbara and her health educators.
Since then the Association of Community Health Educators has grown tremendously. From the small house remodeled into a one consultation room clinic, it has been able to add a second floor to the original rooms, providing 4 more consultation rooms. The Association purchased the house behind its location and built a three story building that allows for more health teams, a classroom, an emergency room, and curative and vaccination area. A new health team was hired and a much needed Physical Therapy program was instituted. The Physical Therapy Program is not funded by the city health department but is funded completely from the generous donations of US churches and supporters.

ImageOn October 19, 2006, the Association will celebrate its 10 years of medical ministry with the inauguration of its third building with additional consultation rooms for another health team, an office for the social worker, work area for the new team of health educators, and a children’s and teenage project room for recreation, art, and professional training. The current plan is to provide alternative activities to the shantytown children so they may keep away from the lure of drugs and have a chance to lead healthy and hopeful lives for a better future.

ImageYou are invited to visit the  Association of Community Health Educators website and view their pictures and read their story.  Donations for the project may be sent to Global Ministries, Office of Resource Development, PO Box 1986, Indianapolis, IN  46206.