Blanca's Health for Life
The Health for Life program gave Blanca something she had not had before: the support to actually follow through on her own care.
Health for Life provides health education and preventive screenings to Friendship Bridge clients in partnership with Wuqu’ Kawoq (Maya Health Alliance). Culturally-sensitive services are delivered via mobile clinics that travel to the villages where our clients live, staffed by female medical professionals fluent in the Indigenous languages our clients speak.
Clients gain access to the general health services package as a benefit of being a Friendship Bridge client. It includes:
- Papanicolaou exam
- Cervical exam
- Breast exam
- Diabetes screening
- Hypertension screening
- Pregnancy test
- STI screening
- Prenatal care
- Accompaniment to treatments as needed
A Friendship Bridge client receives a glucose screening through the Health for Life program.
Why provide preventive care?
Through surveys and interactions with our clients, we know health complications limit their potential, preventing them from building a better future for themselves and their families. Some of the most common health complications are preventable diseases like diabetes, hypertension, and cervical cancer, and misconceptions about healthcare and lack of access to medical services result in high rates of these preventable diseases.
A “Routine” Checkup
For the women we serve in Guatemala, accessing healthcare is a task that is anything but routine. She faces a combination of geographical, economic, cultural, and social obstacles that can make seeking medical services a challenge.
- Economic Constraints: For a family in poverty, the cost of medical expenses, transportation, and potential loss of income due to travel can create additional financial strain on her family.
- Time Constraints: Rural women often have multiple responsibilities, including caring for children, managing households, and maintaining their businesses. This leaves her with limited time to travel for healthcare.
- Geographic Isolation: Many rural areas in Guatemala are located in remote and rugged terrains, making transportation to a medical facility difficult. The need to travel long distances, in addition to lack of public transportation in rural areas, makes it difficult for her to reach healthcare centers.
- Language Barriers: 20+ Indigenous languages are prevalent in rural Guatemala, and not all healthcare providers speak these languages, making it difficult for her to communicate her health concerns and understand medical advice.
A Friendship Bridge client receives a blood pressure screening through the Health for Life program.
Stories
Learn more about our clients who have benefited from our Health for Life program.
Martha's Health for Life
Testing available through the Health for Life program determined that Martha had stage 1 cervical cancer. A hysterectomy removed the cancer and saved her life.
Norma's Health for Life
Norma’s journey with Friendship Bridge began ten years ago when she joined to grow her business. But years later, it was her access to our Health for Life program, not just credit alone, that changed her life.
