OUR WORK
Creating a healthy tomorrow for the children of Guatamela through health screenings and education
Oral Health and Hygiene
Mayanza provides oral health screening, fluoride varnish application, and oral hygiene education—along with a toothbrush, toothpaste and soap—to each child that we see. The most severe cases are referred to a dentist for restorations and extractions.
We have partnered with the following organizations that also support the schools we serve:
La Escuelita Puerta Abierta, Sparks Foundation, and PEG Partners.
Health Education
A cornerstone of our organization, our health education is based on the needs of the school community we serve. We’ve partnered with a teacher from the community to provide weekly education sessions for the children in four primary schools in Santiago. Her interactive teachings focus on nutrition, hygiene, exercise, anemia prevention, and appropriate interpersonal interactions aimed at the empowerment of each child.
Anemia Program
Anemia affects the growth and development of children. Due to malnutrition and intestinal parasites, the rate of anemia in Santiago is high. Mayanza provides each child with a daily multivitamin, anti-parasite medication, and education about the importance of hand hygiene and anemia prevention during education sessions at school. This project has shown incredible success with a decrease in the rate of anemia and increased levels of engagement in the classroom in all schools that we work with.
Healthy Mothers Program
In 2019, Mayanza received a grant from the nccPA Health Foundation to begin a pilot project on Mayan women focused on education of lifestyle modifications to prevent diabetes. This ongoing program has sessions that focus on education about diabetes, nutrition, exercise, goal setting and stress management. In addition, women participate in weekly sessions with an exercise trainer to learn how to incorporate exercise into their daily lives. They have been supported in creating home gardens and raising chickens in an effort to combat food insecurity.
Health Screenings
The inter-professional team of health care providers works with Mayanza to provide health screenings to the school children. Students with acute or chronic disorders that require additional care are referred to a local health clinic.
Community Health Outreach Program
With our newest program that began in February 2020, Mayanza will host a series of Family Health Fairs at the schools we serve to engage the school community in learning about ways to improve the health of the whole family. With the help of a grant from the PA Foundation, we provide education and materials focusing on oral health, anemia prevention and treatment, perinatal health, and lifestyle modifications to prevent chronic disease. We are excited to collaborate with organizations in the Santiago area to provide these expanded services.