Featured Stories
Making a difference in Honduras
Shortly after Ana Michelle Allain graduated from the Université de Montréal, with an undergraduate degree in Anthropology, she was able to put her studies to good use.
Ana spent two months in Copan Ruinas, Honduras as an intern for project REDES, a Red Cross program that targets mothers and children in rural areas. The project aims to reduce mother and child mortality, and involve more men in decisions and actions relating to health issues.
“There is a definite distinction between the roles of men and women in Central America, which is a challenge to a project like REDES,” says Ana. “We are trying to engage women and men about the equality of genders. It is hoped that by informing men about family health issues we can decrease the mortality rate of young mothers and children.”
During her two month stay, Anna attended pregnancy clubs, weight check-up’s for children under two years old, visited pregnant women and sick children in their homes, and provided tuberculosis and hand washing information. Another aspect of her internship involved interviewing men and women living in rural communities to research certain trends.
“During the weighing, I talked to mothers about where they gave birth, how many kids they have, do they want more, and how their husbands help out,” comments Ana. “These are questions that one would not normally ask a perfect stranger, but I have to find my information somewhere. Every day it gets easier.”
This five year program is now into its third year and major progress has been made. Through continued education and advocacy things in Honduras will keep changing for the better. Ana’s experience in Honduras was more than educational, it was life changing. She appreciates that she had the chance to explore another culture and make a difference in the communities helped.
Interested in working overseas? Click here to learn more.
Click here to read Ana Michelle Allain’s field diaries written during her time in Honduras.
Click here for more information on Project REDES.