“Resource Mothers” Altagracia Luna and Kissairis Rodriquez of the Dominican Republic visited the United States for the first time last week on a trip to Physicians for Peace headquarters in Norfolk, Virginia. Altagracia and Kissairis have played an important role in establishing the “Resouce Mothers” Program in the Dominica Republic with the support of Physicians for Peace. During their visit, they were able to tour a local children’s hospital and meet women who do the same type of prenatal education and mentoring here in the US. In turn, we benefited greatly from learning about their experiences in working with mothers in need:
“As Resources Mothers, we help the people of the barrios we live in. We go out into the barrio, door to door, and find girls who are pregnant, and need help and advice. We are trained to teach young women about all the ways they can have a healthy pregnancy and a healthy happy baby. We help them keep away from drugs, alcohol and tobacco, which are common in our community. We accompany the girls to their prenatal check-ups, visit them at their homes, and advise them and their family how to have a healthy pregnancy. We also advise them how to eat well, even when there is so little to eat, because of their poverty. We help them to learn how to nourish not just their body but also their soul so they can deal with all their worries and fears.”
“All of us Resource Mothers are thankful for the opportunity to be part of this program. Every day, I thank God and Physicians for Peace for the chance to help my neighbors and my barrio. We feel that we are changing the lives of the girls we help. We are changing the lives of so many people for the better. In the first year of the program, 94 healthy babies were born, and we feel like we are a part of all of those families. And it has changed our lives as well! The Program has motivated me to go to Medical School in the Dominican Republic. In a few years I am going to be a Doctor. Thank all of you for making all of this happen.”
Their compassion and dedication is an inspiration to everyone at Physicians for Peace, and we hope they will come visit us again soon!
Tags: Dominican Republic, Resource Mothers, Women's and Children's Heath
