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Family Planing Stories From the Field
In the Family Planning Spotlight: CARE International is a confederation of agencies that deliver relief assistance to people in need and create long-term solutions to global poverty. Agencies like the United Nations contribute to CARE’s project funding. CARE International provides millions of dollars in aid to over 60 countries each year. Reproductive Health is a specific CARE program area. Stories like the following are an integral part of educating communities about why support for International Family Planning is essential. Women and families lives are improved when healthcare services and information are made accessible. See details about CARE’s Reproductive Health Programs. A Song for Life by Amy Mehringer, CARE International
Manuela and Roberto Santiago were elected by their community to be family planning promoters as part of a CARE program. In this role, they bridge their community with the health care system by going door-to-door to visit their neighbors and discuss the importance of family planning and its connection to the health of mothers and children. "At first, my husband was unhappy," Manuela says. "He resisted the idea that these sessions would improve our family’s health, help other families and contribute to our community’s development." Then Manuela and Roberto discovered first-hand the consequences of not having access to family planning services. Roberto’s sister, Rose, died while giving birth to her sixth child. Manuela insisted on teaching their children, especially their girls, about family planning so they would not suffer Rose’s fate. Women who use family planning to space the births of their children tend to have safer pregnancies and healthier children. They are also more likely to contribute to household income. Rose’s tragic experience changed Roberto’s mind. Their neighbors presented another challenge. Like Roberto, they were initially uncomfortable confronting the issue of family planning. "We visited their homes, but they rejected us, and some even slammed the door!" Manuela says. "When we invited them to discussions, they didn’t show up." Manuela needed another approach, so she wrote several songs about childhood illnesses and the dangers women face in pregnancy. She then began using singing as a vehicle to communicate her message. "The community loved it!" Manuela says. "Now I sing when I visit my neighbors and everyone has started to realize the importance of using birth control and keeping their children healthy. Now the women in my community thank me." Manuela and Roberto are two of nearly 2,500 volunteer health promoters in Peru who provide health education to poor families as part of a CARE program initiated in 1993 and funded with the support of the U.S. Government. In total, these health promoters are responsible for providing voluntary family planning information and services to nearly 200,000 families, a large percentage of which would never have had access to this critical health service. By giving couples the opportunity to make informed family planning choices, these volunteers are promoting access to health care services and improving individual lives, one song at a time. Making the Population-Environment-Family Planning Connection in Peru by Annette Souder, Global Population and Environment Program
Despite incredible ecological and cultural significance of Peru’s unique landscape, since the 1960’s, both military and civilian leaders believed that development was a quick solution to improve Peru’s economic situation. Peru’s rainforests and highlands were rapidly exploited for valuable hardwood and agricultural land. As a result, more than 70,000 sq. kilometers of Peru’s rainforest has been lost to industry, with environmental impacts including severe erosion, contaminating local water sources with silt. Despite economic progress and increased family planning efforts in recent years, Peru still has the third highest birth rate in South America with a population of 27.1 million. Infant mortality rates are twice as high in Peru as in some neighboring countries. High rates of poverty and geographic disparity persist as some of Peru’s continuing developmental roadblocks. Access to quality health care varies greatly in Peru. In the larger urban areas like Lima, clinics are more plentiful with a larger number of staff enabling them to reach out to a greater number of clients. In the more rural and remote Andean locations, general clinics are more sparsely dispersed and often rely on promotoros, health worker/volunteers to travel to the most remote locations to offer a limited range of services. The nearly double rural maternal and infant mortality rates reflect this access disparity. Fertility rates also tend to be noticeably higher in rural areas when compared to those in urban areas. Ironically, the bulk of Peru’s biological wealth is also found in the more rural areas, particularly in the rainforest regions. The future of Peru’s families and biological diversity are inextricably linked. Although much of the destruction of Peruvian rainforests and highlands is irreversible, Peru has recently begun implementing policies that protect the rainforest by designating unexploited or virgin areas as national parks. To date, nearly five percent of Peru is protected as a national park, reserve, or sanctuary. Although these conservation efforts are crucial to preserving Peru’s unique diverse ecosystems, environmental protection cannot happen in a vacuum. In order to empower Peruvians to better manage their families, their communities and their rich natural resources, voluntary family planning servces must be made available to all people. Back to Winter 2002 Population Report Photos courtesy Annette Souder and CARE. Up to Top HOME | Email Signup | About Us | Contact Us | Terms of Use | © 2008 Sierra Club |
In Peru’s rural and impoverished areas, health care services are scarce. Women often suffer the most when their pregnancies become complicated, their children fall sick or their families grow too large to clothe or feed. Yet, in the Peruvian village of Hierbabuena, a song has come to mean the difference between a life of opportunity and one of despair.
Although smaller than the state of Texas, Peru is considered one of the world’s biodiversity 'hot spots.' Scientists have estimated that Peru is a home to almost 2000 species of birds –- with about 300 found no where else on earth, 400 species of mammals, 500 species of reptiles and amphibians, and 30,000 species of vascular plants. Peru’s varied ecosystems offer an irreplaceable habitat for many exotic and even endangered species.