KWIC and Horizons Invite You to Welcome Visiting Delegates
In Guatemala, a country with one of the highest inequality rates in Latin America, Indigenous Maya women and children face disproportionate gaps in maternal, newborn, and child health when compared to non-Indigenous peoples. Maya K’iche’ women in Totonicapán, a province with a predominantly Maya population and one of the highest poverty rates in the country, are twice as likely to die during childbirth as non-Indigenous women. 4 out of 5 Maya K’iche’ children under five in the province suffer from chronic malnutrition, and a lack of resources and access to health facilities remains a barrier for communities that have been historically marginalized.
In 2016, Horizons of Friendship launched its Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (MNCH) project in partnership with its local Guatemalan partner, PIES de Occidente (the Association for Health Promotion, Research and Education). The project, funded by the Government of Canada, is helping reduce maternal and child deaths in Totonicapán through culturally-relevant training and equipment for traditional Indigenous midwives known as ‘comadronas’, the mass provision of medical equipment and nutritional supplements, a wide-ranging health promotion campaign in the Maya K’iche’ language and more – all in close collaboration with the Guatemalan Ministry of Health.
Join Horizons, the Kawartha World Issues Centre and the Kawartha Pine Ridge Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario Local on Tuesday, November 20 to meet two visiting Maya K’iche’ women, whose work is helping save the lives of mothers and children in Totonicapán. Irma Ixcayau, a traditional Indigenous midwife, and Mirna Pretzantzin, a health educator and traditional community authority, will speak to their stories, experiences and struggles. Learn how their resilient efforts are improving the wellbeing of thousands of Maya K’iche’ families
COME VISIT THE RESOURCE CENTRE!
A reminder that the KWIC Global Education Resource Centre (Trent U East Bank, Environmental Sciences Building, B101) is open weekdays from 7 AM - 7PM, and everyone is welcome to make use of the space. The Centre is a quite meeting, study, and prayer-friendly space. With a free lending alternative library.
Please click here more addiitonal events and updates. If you would like to add your group's events to this calendar, please send an email to events@kwic.info with Community Calendar Access in the Subject Line!
Like what KWIC does with our community?
Consider supporting KWIC with a donation! Generous contributions from people like you help support our youth engagement programming and other events that promote dialogue and action on social and environmental issues at the local and global scale.
We appreciate your support!
