Our goal is for our women participants have the capacity to know what to do, where to go, and how to utilize resources available to them when they are confronted with any given family health circumstance.

The Oxlajuj B’atz’ medicinal plant program began upon OB’s inception in 2004. Throughout the years, we’ve conducted various medicinal plant community projects, workshops and community gardens that utilize local resources and knowledge.

In 2010, we initiated a one year project with the assistance of the UN Indigenous Peoples Fund, to empower, educate, and train Mayan women in traditional medicinal plant propagation and use, secure medicinal plant gardens for each community, and develop product lines using the medicinal plants for sale to the general market. Community trainings and workshops are held by Consejo May K’iche’ Winaq Oxlajuj Ajmaq (roughly translated as the Council of Elder Authorities on the 13th Day), an indigenous council of spiritual guides and traditional medicinal plant experts. The health conditions in many of our communities are poor and preserving traditional Mayan knowledge of medicinal plants and remedies will improve community health among the indigenous Maya.

For the gardens, we are collaborating with IMAP (Mesoamerican Institute of Permaculture) for creating and planting one’s own garden. IMAP values the use of available resources in eliminating waste as often as possible. Several women from the communities, along with OB’s Community Facilitators, participated in a three-day workshop held on IMAP’s premises in San Lucas Toliman in order to learn about permaculture and prepare for their garden designs.

Towards the end of the year, OB will produce a manual including all the elements of the project, (i.e., history of traditional medicinal plant knowledge and use, tips in gardening skills, and plant remedies and recipes for common illnesses). A copy of this manual will be made available in each community, as well as in our Resource Center.

As the program progresses, and there is evidence that the gardens are flourishing, we plan to offer assistance with income-generation that involves natural products, e.g., shampoos, tinctures, salves, cough syrups, teas, soaps, etc. back to top

Women’s Health

Workshops are provided on a variety of topics regarding women’s health, including family planning (natural methods and others), and cervical cancer screenings provided on two separate occasions in collaboration with WINGS.

Cervical Cancer Screenings

In collaboration with WINGS, an NGO based in La Antigua, and Project G.I.F.T. (Guatemalan Infant and Family Treatment), and a team of doctors from Canada based in Panajachel, OB organized pap-smear exams for the women in the groups, in most cases their first ever. A medical consultation on any subject was offered to the women and their families at the same time. According to WINGS, the women were well prepared for the exam. Daniela Abadi, a nurse midwife from Argentina, had prepared the women and helped to diminish their fears by thoroughly explaining the procedure.

In total, 193 women were examined; miraculously, none needed a follow up exam! Two years later OB provided a follow-up exam again with WINGS, and again to our relief no one was diagnosed with cancer. WINGS’ suggestion to most women was that they receive another exam in five years.

Family Planning

Our first health workshops were given by Esther Pop, a Tz’utujil midwife from San Pedro La Laguna. Her talks focused on women’s and children’s health and family planning methods. The talks were very successful as they allowed the women to ask many questions in their own languages.

Since then, OB has collaborated with Asociación Guatemalteca para la Familia de las Américas (AFA), located in Guatemala City, to present extended health discussions in the areas of reproductive health, and family planning by natural method. This method of contraception complements the cultural and religious backgrounds of the women, and meets with easy acceptance. The method was explained in a preliminary discussion, and the women were instructed to chart their signs of fertility. At a follow-up meeting, the women shared their results and posed specific questions regarding natural family planning. The women also reported that their spouses were generally accepting of the method, further contributing to the empowerment of these women within their homes. back to top

Preventive Health

With a lack of access to basic health services, we focus our preventive health efforts on projects with real, tangible results, such as water filters for potable water, nutrition classes, and environmental health. We also host special projects where a specific need is addressed such as our Ergonomic Bench Project.

Ergonomic Bench Project

Many of the women who use back-strap looms complain of pains in their legs, backs, and shoulders. Karen Piegorsch, an ergonomics expert who founded the organization Synergo Arts, came to OB to do a study of women who use a back-strap loom. While volunteering her time and professional expertise, Karen visited several communities with the OB team. Based on her observations, OB facilitated the development of a bench that is easily adjusted to the height of the weaver. It provides an ergonomically better position for them without affecting the quality of their weaving. OB has produced 142 ergonomic weaving benches, at the request of the women, at a cost of US $10.00 each — 1/5 of the cost to produce each bench.

Water Filters

The limited availability of clean drinking water continues to have negative consequences for the health and well-being of the women and their families. To combat this problem, OB provided 280 water filters to group members, thanks to our generous donors. The women contributed about $3.50 for each filter, about 1/10 of the cost. At the time of delivery, each woman was required to receive training on how to practice good hygiene and clean and care for her filter. back to top

Health Resources and Rights

Central to our groups becoming self-sufficient is their ability to recognize their rights and access necessary resources. As such, we conduct extensive research about local, departmental and national clinics, centers of health, hospitals and traditional healers that the groups can access. Likewise, we conduct individual and group surveys to gather information about obstacles to accessing these existing resources, as well as fears, misinformation and discrimination that may arise in relation to health resources and rights. Currently, we are compiling information about existing health resources for all our groups, and testing formats in which the information can be organized into Health Resource Guide books, particularly to serve the large population of illiterate members, made available in the communities as well as our Resource Center. back to top