“My name is Yadira del Carmen Sevilla Gaus, I was born in 1989 and I have a degree in nursing,” shares Yadira Sevilla, Health Promoter in the community of Tierra Blanca, Boaco.
Some of you might remember her from previous emails and articles. Yadira was a recipient of the Seeds of Esperanza Scholarship Fund and obtained her degree in nursing in March of 2021. She recently became a mother, giving birth to her first baby at the end of last year. And, we are so happy for her!
At AMOS, we have had the opportunity to see Yadira grow as an indivual, a community leader, a Health Promoter, and now, as a mother.
Join us in this special interview of the What does is mean being a Health Promoter? series and get to know more about this powerful young woman and her passion for community service.
How old were you when you started getting involved in community work and how many years have you been a Health Promoter?
Yadira: “I was 19 years old back then. And, I have been a Health Promoter for around 13 – 14 years. It has been a while now!”
Was there someone who inspired you to participate, someone who reached out to you or who made you think you would like to support community work? Was there someone who got you involved?
Yadira: “I did not know much about AMOS or what it was going to be about, but the community leaders saw that I was young and that I had participated in other activities such as youth networks, youth groups and others, so they invited me to be part of the work with AMOS and I decided to do it.”
Do you remember what the community of Tierra Blanca was like before AMOS partnered with the community? Was there community organization at all? Did you have contact with the Ministry of Health local authorities? How was it like before?
Yadira: “There was some level of community organization, people here have always been well organized, but not in matters related to health. There was no presence of the Ministry of Health, it was a community with difficult access, no vehicles would come near by, there were no means of transportation, it was very difficult for the Ministry of Health to come to the community. For this reason, when AMOS came, the community saw its importance, they were very interested in this effort because it was going to address some of the needs we had.“
What motivates you to be a Health Promoter in Tierra Blanca?
Yadira: “When I realized what AMOS’s work was about it motivated me, because at that time there were many needs. When we began to do some tests and examined the children, we saw that we had many malnourished children and children with anemia in the community. Also, pregnant women had to walk very long distances and there were no means of transportation to leave the community, so it was very difficult. That is what motivated me, the fact that in my community there were a lot of needs.”
What have been the difficulties you have faced in all these years as a Health Promoter?
Yadira: “Having to travel, it is difficult sometimes to leave the community. Sometimes there are no resources. Sometimes there is a member of the community who does not support the work, and one would want everyone to support.”
What does your family think of your work as a Health Promoter? Do they support you, get angry, ask you a lot of questions?
Yadira: “My family is my engine and my brain. They are everything to me because they are the ones who have motivated me, they are the ones who helped me get into this and I know I can count on them unconditionally. I think they are my everything and I am here for them, too.”
If at any time you decide to retire as a Health Promoter or move to another place, how would you like to be remembered in your community and at AMOS?
Yadira: “I think I would like to be remembered as someone who is persistent. I started working with AMOS a long time ago and together we have come this far. Also, I think that more than all the work that has been done in my community, I want people to remember the changes that have occurred in the community.”
All this is only possible because of you and your steady support! Read more inspiring stories like these in the future and get to know more about the AMOS family.