Rec & Health Archives - Page 3 of 6

Promotoras protect teens through classes in healthy sexuality

Posted onOctober 25, 2016October 27, 20162 Comments

Teens in Palomas pose with posters they created during class.

by Gricelda Loya, Palomas health promoters (promotoras)

On July 2, 2016, Juana Flores and I began presenting two workshops each week in healthy sexuality for adolescents of our community of Palomas. Topics include the prevention of teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases.

Right now, we have two groups of 13 adolescents each, both boys and girls–between 15 and 18 years of age. All of the students are very interested in learning about these issues and participate actively in the classes.

Goal of Healthy Sexuality Classes

Our goal for these classes is that young people who attend the workshops will help us spread the importance of making their actions more responsible. For example, they need to protect themselves from sexually transmitted diseases and from unwanted pregnancy, and use adequate contraception correctly.

With these classes we hope to reduce the number of pregnancies among adolescents in Palomas. This also will reduce the number of these children leaving school without graduating.

Griselda (left) keeps class interactive and interesting as teens learn basic information and life skills.

Promotoras provide services to 200 at 2016 Health Fair

Posted onOctober 24, 2016October 25, 2016

Palomas residents received many health services free of charge at the 2016 Health Fair.

Our Promotoras’ (Health Promoters) 2016 Health Fair took place “front and center” in Palomas’ main plaza. Approximately 200 Palomas residents took advantage of a wide range of services given freely to people of all ages.

Promotoras provided tetanus vaccinations and glucose tests to fair participants. They also gave away 60 containers of Folic Acid and over 150 condoms. Local dentist, Dr. Karla of American Dental, provided free oral health examinations. Palomas firemen vaccinated 50 dogs for rabies. Staff from Prevemovil performed health evaluations. These evaluations identified 15 people at risk for nutritional and medical problems.

The 2016 Health Fair also highlighted the importance of good nutrition and exercise. The Promotoras prepared and served 200 nutritious vegetarian burritos. Local children enjoyed jumping on trampolines. They also participated in footraces and other physical activities.

Community Support

The Fairs also owes its success to the assistance that several groups and individuals gave the Promotoras.

The Binational Health Council (COBINA) covered the cost of materials and supplies for the Fair with their generous funding.
Scott Davies of Columbus donated a new shade shelter.
Peppers Supermarket contributed a significant 50% discount on all food served at the fair.
Needy local residents left the Fair carrying bags of pinto beans, thanks to a tremendous donation from Diaz Farms.

Despite some problems with the electrical service, the Promotoras successfully presented models of good nutrition and physical activity at the 2016 Health Fair. Their efforts promote positive changes in the health habits of the community.

New indoor gym opens to Palomas residents

Posted onSeptember 14, 2016

Kids beam as they pause to pose while enjoying their play at the new community gym facility in Palomas

Border Partners has orchestrated the opening of a public gym in Palomas. The gym has already opened for recreational use of the town’s residents.

Palomas boasts two large gyms, both of them are located at public schools. Until this summer, due to their locations, the two existing gyms were used only by school students, and only when school was in session. Outside of these two school gym facilities, there’s no other indoor recreational space in the town.

Handwritten sign welcomes all: “Gym is open to the general public Friday to Sunday from 7-9 PM. We look forward to you coming!”

One of the two existing gyms is located at an elementary school that was open to listen to our proposal. Border Partners offered to fence off the classroom section of the school, separating it from the gymnasium. This would make the school inaccessible from the gym. Thus separated, townspeople could use the gym facility without any possibility of infringing on the public school’s educational facilities.

School officials agreed, and we had the go-ahead to enact our plan. Now, when the gym is open, people are able to use the sports facility and cannot enter the school. This opens up, for the first time, a publicly-accessible indoor sports facility in Palomas.

The basketball hoops in the gymnasium needed repair and the school had no other equipment. So, Border Partners bought volleyballs and nets, basketballs, hula hoops and other sports equipment for children’s active games. We also restored the bathroom facilities. Now the gym is open for general use!

Once again, we acknowledge the HEAL grant from Paso del Norte Health Foundation and other generous donors who provide the funding that allows us to produce forward movement in Palomas. Making sports facilities available to the public encourages healthy activity that will counter medical concerns that are prevalent in Mexico, notably hypertension and diabetes.

New dirt bike track open for competitions and fun in Palomas

Posted onSeptember 13, 2016September 14, 20162 Comments

In the YouTube video (above) enjoy your opportunity to see the dirt track on its first day of use. “Bravo, bravo,” cheers the crowd of onlookers as the kids cautiously navigate the dips and rises between the ridges of the track, doing their best to improve their time while avoiding an embarassing wipe-out.

On two hot days in June, twenty volunteers from Palomas–supported by our staff at their sides–hoisted picks and shovels. Their job: to move a huge pile of gravel around a parcel of donated land. The goal: to make humps and bumps in a large serpentine track so kids could try a new way of riding their bikes. A dirt bike track is an excellent way for kids to get some good exercise while having a whole lot of fun.

The Palomas town water department donated the use of their equipment. And, they even donated a driver for the two days of dirt bike track construction. The track officially opened for action in July.

The dirt bike track is located on a 200’ x 200’ lot that is surrounded by a four foot plastic fence. Now that it’s finished, the track has a ridge to delineate it. It contains approximately 20 small jumps. The track is only wide enough to accomodate one rider at a time. But it can still host competitions. The competitors in races will be stopwatch-timed so that they’ll be racing the clock.

The YouTube video at the top of this post gives you the opportunity to peek in to Mexico and watch the track in action on the very first day. Hear the cheers of the crowd and experience the exhileration of competition. All this activity and involvement builds healthy bodies and resilient kids.

Recipe for a new dirt bike track for Palomas

Posted onJune 28, 2016June 28, 20161 Comment

Community organizers and volunteers planned and executed the dirt bike course.

Heavy machinery and hard labor created a dirt bike course for Palomas–all volunteer executed!

by Peter Edmunds

The kids in Palomas had no good place to ride their bikes. So, Border Partners, equipped with a grant from the Paso del Norte Health Foundation, put things in motion to build them one. Here’s Peter’s story about what it took to make this dream come true:

What does it take to build a dirt bike track on a very hot June day in Palomas?

1 plan for the route the course would take and where to put the hills and jumps.
1 piece of land, donated by a generous landowner.
2 -20 cubic yard loads of dirt
1 tractor-loader, with driver, supplied by the Palomas Water Dept., to move dirt
1 tanker fire truck with three volunteer firemen to wet down the new tracks
15 gallons of Gatorade to avoid dehydration in the 100 degree heat
15 community volunteers, age 9 and up, to move, dig, turn, shape and pack the 40 cubic yards of dirt.
20 lunches purchased from a fundraising event for the high school.
40 pounds of fruit and cookies from Peppers Supermarket in Deming, NM.

Now, hundreds of young teenagers have a place to get good exercise and have fun with their friends.

Many thanks to all the groups and individuals who worked together to make this happen!

See the big machines and heroic volunteers brave the heat on our online photo album.

Starting Young: School gardens and nutrition classes

Posted onJune 28, 2016June 28, 2016

Learning nutrition is “hands-on” (quite literally) as students get involved in preparing nutritious foods.

Students enjoy eating the fresh salads that they prepared as part of nutrition class.

Back in March, Border Partner’s gardeners and volunteer parents began building gardens at two elementary schools in Palomas: Ramon Espinoza and Ignacio Zaragoza. These schools share a facility and grounds but one student body meets there in the morning and a different one convenes there in the afternoon. After planting seeds with the children, each school now has four raised garden beds alongside each other–all growing summer crops in the hot sunshine.

The next step was to ensure the children would eat the vegetables they were growing. So, our gardeners began to get the children involved. They had the kids plant seeds in cups so they could take a plant home. They made a big salad with the kids so they could taste the veggies they were growing. And, they taught them about all the vitamins vegetables have that will make their bodies strong.

In her own words, Juana Flores, tells about the classes she’s teaching:

“The children in one of my classes are from ages 6-7 and in the other ages 9-10. I’m teaching them about the vitamins and minerals that fruits and vegetables have and how to enjoy the flavors of vegetables. Some children are not familiar with the vegetables that we’re growing. These vegetables are chard, spinach, lettuce, cauliflower, broccoli, radishes, tomatoes, cilantro and celery.”

She continues: “The vegetables the children like best are carrots, green chiles, lettuce, spinach, radishes, broccoli, lettuce and cucumber.”

“One day in the class, we prepared a big salad with chard, spinach, lettuce, carrot, green chile and cucumber. The lesson was about vitamins. The funny thing was that the children who said they didn’t like vegetables finished them all and wanted more. They learned that vegetables are very important, so they stay healthy and grow well.”

Parent volunteers constructed the covered, raised bed gardens at the elementary schools.

Promotora activity improves Palomas public health

Posted onApril 21, 2016May 16, 2016

Palomas youth jumped at the challenge of completing a bicycle rodeo course organized by the promotoras.

Our Palomas promotoras (health promoters) are working almost nonstop with activities designed to improve various aspects of public health. Their enthusiasm runs high, and the town responds enthusiastically to a slate of activities that improve the quality of life. Here’s a snapshot look at some of their recent accomplishments:

Spring Health Fair

Folks devoured the healthy burritos prepared by the promotoras.

Our new Sports Center site held the promotoras Spring Health Fair event on April 14. The event included healthy food, activities and fun.

Promotoras distributed their healthy burritos, along with popcorn and fruit–with ingredients provided by the COBINA/Binational Health Commission).

The 250 attendees received, free of any charges:

flu shots for adults and
vaccinations for children,
rabies vaccine for dogs and even
personal haircuts.

The local gardeners also participated in the fair, distributing tomato seedlings and lots of vegetable seeds to attendees. Soccer and volleyball games during the event provided healthy activity for adults and children.

Bicycle Rodeo and Family Ride

Flier advertises the first spring family bike ride.

On April 17, the promotoras organized their first Bike Rodeo for local kids. The event gave our youth a chance to ride their bikes over a dirt course with bumps, twists and jumps–even a water hazard! Not only does this provide healthy exercise, the event also promotes positive community involvement and positive interactions with local adults.

On April 21, promotoras slated their first family bicycle ride of the season. The public was invited to meet at Ford School at 6 PM to launch another spring fun ride. This family-friendly event gets the community together for active, healthy fun. Many participants use bicycles that Border Partners supporters have donated for the town’s use.

Nutrition Classes & More

Bean distribution

Promotoras also prepared and conducted six nutrition classes each month this year as part of the HEAL grant we received from the Paso Del Norte Health Foundation. They offer a continuing class for 40 women who attend one session each month. The course started in January with classes on the importance of eating plenty of fruits and vegetables. February’s focus was healthy grains. March lessons considered the value of dairy products, and April’s classes took on the necessity of protein.

Thanks to a donation of a 2,000 pound bag of dried pinto beans from family-owned Diaz Farms in Deming, NM, the promotoras were able to deliver 20 pound bags of beans to 85 needy seniors and other families in Palomas. These recipients were grateful for this tremendous supplement to their diets.

In addition to special activities, health promoters provide regular office hours to the residents of Palomas. In a donated storefront space, their office is open from 9AM-12 PM, Monday through Friday. They offer free health checks and information. The promotoras also hold regularly scheduled meetings there to plan their activities, discuss their services and coordinate their programming in Palomas.

Diaz Farms Donates a Ton of Pinto Beans!

Posted onMarch 8, 2016August 10, 2016

Border Partners’ Peter Edmunds watches the foklift raise a ton of beans, donated to Puerto Palomas.

Promotora Aidé (l) delivers beans donated by Diaz Farms to the home of a home bound senior in Palomas.

On February 23, Peter Edmunds borrowed a utility trailer to pick up 2,000 pounds of pinto beans donated by Diaz Farms in Deming, NM. As you can see in the photo (above), the huge bag had to be loaded with a fork lift. That’s a lot of beans!

Peter drove the beans to Palomas the next day. Since the Mexican border guards had advance notice, the procedure to cross them was relatively uncomplicated. A crew of five public works employees helped distribute the beans into 40 fifty-pound bags.

Our Palomas team then distributed portions to three elementary schools, a secondary school and the special education school. We also gave bags of beans to the Comedor, a free government lunch program that primarily feeds low income seniors. The health promotoras delivered smaller bags to homebound seniors.

The gift of pinto beans is an especially appreciated gift in Mexico. They’re a very nutritious food, and everyone loves them! This large and generous donation is helping to feed many needy children and families.

Diaz Farms

Ruben Diaz established Diaz Farms in Deming 50 years ago. But, it is now a family business operated by three his sons, Carlos, Eddie and Sam along with his son-in-law, Art and all of their families. Like many family operations, the business started small. Over the years, Diaz Farms has grown to be a national supplier of New Mexico chile and onions.

Border Partners is grateful for the Diaz family’s generosity! ¡Muchisimas gracias, Amigos!

To view photos of processing and distributing this pinto bean donation, visit our Flickr album.

Health promotoras educate Palomas residents about nutrition

Posted onFebruary 12, 2016May 16, 2016

Nutrition classes offer participants meals that highlight nutrition basics. This class ends with a healthy meal that participants make and share.

For several years, the gardeners and health promotoras in Palomas saw a need to offer nutrition classes to educate residents in Palomas. Understanding why it’s important to eat certain foods provides reason and motivation to eat them. This educational component became even more important as the gardens in Palomas flourished. We noticed that people didn’t always know how to use the new foods they had available.

Now a grant from the Paso del Norte Health Foundation has made it possible for our health promotoras to offer nutrition classes for 40 families this year. They use a curriculum called Eating Smart Being Active developed by faculty in the Extension Divisions at Colorado State University at Fort Collins and the University of California, Davis. The curriculum includes eight lessons, seven of which the promotoras use. (One lesson, developed specifically for people who shop in regular supermarkets with sales, doesn’t apply to our situation.)

The curriculum provides a teacher’s handbook in Spanish and participant handouts. Our six promotoras have divided the lessons among themselves. Teams of two each teach two lessons.

esba logo Curriculum topics include lessons centered on:

eating more fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and dairy,
the importance of choosing lean protein, and
limiting sugar and fat in the diet.

Each lesson includes an exercise break and teaches people about the importance of getting regular exercise. Students also get a chance to taste different foods and in some lessons to make a healthy dish.

The curriculum is designed to encourage student participation with the hope that will give people ideas about how to incorporate the changes into their lives. When classes are interactive and directly relevant, it makes the learning practical.

In addition to offering the Eating Smart Being Active curriculum, the promotoras teach many other classes on health topics. Besides offering other nutrition classes, they offer instruction on other topics, covering subjects ranging from self-esteem and stress management to family planning, personal hygiene, and accident prevention. Promotoras implement this curriculum, developed by the Mexican government, in conjunction with the government health clinic in Palomas. Low income families who receive a bimonthly food allotment are required to complete the classes in that series.

December 6: New Community Sports Center’s Grand Opening

Posted onDecember 6, 2015August 12, 2016

A new sign mural welcomes the community to the Community Sports Center.

Years of planning and months of intense labor culminated on Sunday, December 6 in the Grand Opening of a new recreational facility in Palomas: the Community Sports Center. Border Partners conceived this idea years ago after visiting a stadium for futbol rapido in a Mexican municipality. When Phillip Skinner permitted the use of his building and the Paso del Norte Foundation granted major funding for building renovation, work began in earnest. Juan Rason and the health promotoras (health promoters) spearheaded the project, with assistance from Peter Edmunds of Border Partners’ U.S. staff.

Juan Rascon (l) & Peter Edmunds (r)

Mexican civil authorities, including the Municipal Mayor and other officials from Ascención, the local regional capital, as well as the local mayor of Puerto Palomas de Villa and his wife all attended the late morning dedication ceremony. These leaders addressed the attendees, expressing their appreciation for the new facility and of Border Partners for its dedicated investment in the area. Peter Edmunds expressed appreciation for the many local residents whose hours of labor completed the project.

Exhibition games of volleyball (foreground) and soccer (background) played simultaneously. Soon after, a girls’ basketball scrimmage occupied the third court.

A disc jockey entertained attendees with pop music throughout the day and during the series of exhibition games that followed the ribbon cutting ceremony. Hundreds attended the event, and all were treated to delicious home made beans.

All attendees enjoyed delicious homemade beans.

We were amazed and grateful for the tremendous support we received from the community in this project. Hundreds of volunteer hours contributed to the completion of the facility. Significant community investment in and ownership of the sports center is already apparent.

The complex will be used by local soccer leagues and will also be available for free play and casual games. Construction of the sports center allows three simultaneous games: soccer, volleyball and basketball.