Empowering Indigenous Youth for a Healthy Future

This year is definitely off to an unexpected start! The school year started in mid-January and shortly after, Rising Minds began it’s weekly health trainings with our partner preschool, CEIBI. Like previous years, we kicked-off the 2020 training series with our disease prevention unit. We started by learning about the anatomy of the human body. Unfortunately, we were only able to host four trainings before programming was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In mid-March, as President Giammattei announced the first confirmed case in Guatemala, Rising Minds made the decision to suspend all programming in efforts to prioritize the health and safety of our staff and community partners. We are following all recommendations set by WHO, the Ministry of Health, and CDC, and are abiding by protocols and restrictions set by the Guatemalan Government.

Like everyone, we are doing our best to adjust to the “new normal.” We are spending this time working on curriculum development, so that if, and when, schools are back in session we can hit the ground running hosting workshops and trainings. We are also exploring ways in which we can provide information virtually and in the form of take home packets. It is more important than ever to spend time talking and teaching about  disease prevention. In Guatemala, the majority of common illnesses and infections are related to hygiene and can be prevented and controlled through appropriate personal hygiene practices. Regular hand-washing, particularly before and after certain activities, is one of the best ways to remove germs, avoid getting sick, and prevent the spread of germs to others. In addition to preventing common illnesses, these hygiene practices can help to curb the spread of COVID-19. 

These are some wild, uncertain, and trying times and we are doing our best to adapt, stay positive, be kind, and help those in need.