Start of the Project

We owe the start of this Project to Anjana
Puri, a volunteer from the U.S. that came to
work with Fundación Mahatma Gandhi in
the summer of 2007.  Her dedication and
personal interest in preserving and
bettering the quality of life among women in
Las Terrenas directed her to identify and
obtain funds so that the basic components
of a medical operative for women could be
realized, and to seek ways to make the
offerings permanent.  

The medical operativo took place on 23rd
of September, 2007 (see report here) in
collaboration with ACES North America
which provided the medical team from
Santo Domingo.  

A community research component started
at the beginning of 2008, conducting 120
individual interviews with women,
completing 140 questionaires by young
women 12-18, and conducting 12 focus
groups in barrios and with women's
groups, as well as individual consultations
with key individuals.  

As a result of this research at the end of
2008 we started the micro-credit project,
with funds also provided by Anjana, as
most women identified economic
independence as a highly important
component in bettering their lives.  In
association with Esperanza International a
group of 20 women participated in
business training and in overall orientation
prior to the first disbursement of funds,
which started in March 2009.  Esperanza
International provided additional funds and
personnel for the project and the trainers.

We are thankful and proud of Anjana's
contributions to the welfare of women in
Las Terrenas and we also thanks her
friends and relatives.
Goal and Objectives

The goal is that at the end of the five year
project all girls and women in Las
Terrenas, starting at age 10, would have
had access to adequate medical,
psychological and educational orientation,
and/or training, and/or support in the ten
areas identified as key indicators of the
holistic well-being and development of girls
and women, by means of the creation of
Las Terrenas Women Center for Holistic
Health

The main objective is the creation of a
center, a physical place, to provide holistic
services to women by qualified
professionals and offering services and
programs that fit the observed, evidenced
and projected needs in the target
populations.

Full details in the Project Design document
here.
Programs and Services

  • Adequate orientation about puberty;
  • Adequate orientation in preventing
    sexually-transmitted diseases;
  • Adequate orientation and support about
    gender-related violence;
  • Adequate orientation and support in the
    area of child abuse, physical and sexual;
  • Adequate orientation and support for HIV
    positive persons;
  • Adequate orientation about menopause;
  • Adequate orientation and education
    about maternity and child rearing;
  • Adequate orientation about basic
    principles of personal and family
    hygiene, nutrition and health;
  • Adequate promotion of self-esteem and
    human rights values;
  • Adequate orientation about civil rights
    and about current protection under the
    law.

Partners
Photo, top left: Anjana Puri with one of the young
participants in the self-esteem workshop during
summer camps, 2008.
Bottom left:  partial view of the group of women
participating in the business training prior to the
disbursement of loans in the micro-credit
project.
Las Terrenas Holistic Health Women's Center
Fostering the holistic health of women through preventive, training and
educational means, from puberty to menopause.  
Fundación Mahatma Gandhi
Global Vision, Local Development
"Be the change
you wish to see
in the world."
Mahatma Gandhi
Opening page, here.
Diagnostics & Community Research, here.
FULL PROJECT PROPOSAL, here.
PROJECT COMPONENTS, here.
Start of micro-credits, here.
TO HELP,  please go here.

Cardiovascular Research Project, here.
First medical-dental operative, here.
First Women's Medical Operative, here.
Women's Medical Operative report, here,

FMG home page in English, here.
VOLUNTEER PROGRAM, here.
Women's Project in spanish, here.