Health Promoter Reaches Out to Community
October 19, 2009
Tanya Maldonado studied English in Ecuador to become a tour guide. Now, instead of showing tourists around her country, she is showing DC Latinos the importance of healthy living."I know there are many people, many poor people who need information..." said Maldonado, a part-time health promoter at La Clínica. "When we give them information, it's like they are opening their eyes, and saying ‘Yeah, I have to take care of myself.'"
Maldonado moved to the US from Ecuador about 12 years ago with her husband and children. The decision came to move after her family spent some time in the US.
"We came once for six months and he [my husband] wanted to come back..." said Maldonado with a laugh. "And now we are living here."
Their family moved to the DC area and hasn't left since. Maldonado was a stay-at-home-mom until a year ago, when her brother, also a health promoter La Clínica, asked her to join the program. She readily agreed.
Health promoters, or promotores de salud, go out into the community to talk to individuals about health issues, either at La Clínica's health fairs, at organized presentations, or just by approaching people on the street. Recently, Maldonado and the other promoters went to several Central and South American embassies to talk with Latinos waiting inline for their passports.
The conversations-or "charlas"-promoters have with individuals range in topics from nutrition to cancer to how to access health insurance. Each promoter is trained on these issues before going out into the community.
"I am learning everyday, more and more..." said Maldonado. "We need to know information about this because we need to tell the people about this."
Maldonado said she enjoys her work and can tell that La Clínica's outreach work is making a difference in people's lives.
"When they know, they start taking care of themselves and their children and their families," she said. "It is really nice to know we are helping people."
Words by: Jeff Raderstrong
Picture by: Mark Silva