The Family Program

We have started a new program here at Mission Lazarus called Programa Familiar... or The Family Program. It was developed as we were brainstorming for ways to show the people of Honduras that we have a genuine interest in their day to day lives and struggles. The clinic team now travels to 3 different communities, once a month, to visit the homes of the 40 participating families. Upon admission to the program each family partakes in a family interview were we find out the number of family members, the amount of money they live on each week, their level of education, the past medical history, the type of homes they live in, if everyone has a place to sleep, if they have a latrine, if their water source is close, if they boil their water, the types of food that they eat and how often, the number of animals that they have, their hygiene routine and if they all have appropriate clothing. Once we have a good picture of the family dynamics then we send the medical team in once a month to do an assessment of their living situation and daily routine.

As an American I realize that I have really taken for granted the basic education that I have received. I know that getting my nursing degree was a blessing... not everyone in the US gets to go to college, but we all are given the opportunity to complete high school. In Honduras this is just not the case. The government here considers a person "educated" upon completion of the 6th grade, and most Hondurans don't even do that. With only 6 years for education most subjects are squished in and condensed. The schools focus on teaching reading, writing, math and science, though these subjects are important, what they fail to put much emphasis on is health education. Though it may seem like common sense for us to not let our children sleep on the dirt floor or to keep our chickens out of the house, it is not common sense for them... because they have not been taught otherwise.

The purpose of the family program is to go into people homes and provide basic health education. The program is to serve as a means for preventative health care. So many of the illnesses that we see at the mountain clinic could be prevented if someone had taken the time to teach the parents a little bit of health education. Our goal is to work with each family for 6 months. To assess the health needs of their family and to offer education as a way in which to help resolve their chronic illnesses. If their child suffers from allergies and sleeps on the dirt floor then we will teach them about allergies and help them get a bed or a hammock for their child. If their child is undernourished but not eating the eggs that the chickens produce then we will teach them about the protein found in the eggs. If their blood pressure is high and they continue to eat a high fat diet, then we will teach them about a heart healthy diet (foods found within their own regualr Honduran diet) and help them get medications to control their blood pressure.

The family plan is individualized for each family. It is an assessment of their health needs and then intensive health education in the areas of hygiene, hydration, nutrition, and over all healthy lifestyle choices. We want to show the Hondurans that we are concerned about their health, that we are aware of their circumstances and that we truly do care about the individual. We want to show them that we have a sincere interest in their well being and that we, as Christians, love them and will be there for them to help them live healthier lives for Christ.