Recently we made one of our daily visits to a Batey, which is located just outside Santo Domingo. In an effort to reach as many people as we can, our ambulance travels from Tuesday to Friday to various Bateys. Last visit was focused on the needs of women at Batey Naranjo. Josefina Celestino and Selena Tolentino, Batey Naranjo coordinators, assisted in directing our focus to those women most in need.

We were able to provide women with routine consultations, and prescriptions for oral contraceptive pill (commonly referred to in the US at ‘birth control’). Also, they were able to obtain a pap test administered by our gynecologist. The Pap test is a method of examining cells collected from the cervix. The main purpose of this test is to screen and detect cancer, infection, and abnormal inflammation. It is important women receive this test twice a year to provide proper care and medication in order to prevent disease.

A seminar was conducted to spread knowledge and raise awareness of diseases. The main aim of the seminar was to provide the participants with information on how to protect themselves, how to talk with their partners about the necessity of practicing safe sex, and how to reduce the danger of transmitting HIV/AIDS and other STD’s.

We had an amazing counselor named Senia Vallejo. She has a beautiful, amazing gift of being able to reach out and touch people. Her optimistic and liberating talk provided encouragement and fellowship for all the women. She was a counselor, as well as a mentor. Senia spoke about the opportunities available, and how their challenges could be surmounted with commitment. We believe that the discussion was very effective and useful, that a lot of the women had heard this information for the first time. Also, they had gained very important theoretical and practical knowledge. Also, we believe that the participants now understood the necessity of using measures of protection during sex, and learned how to talk about that with their partners.

Mobile Clinic in Batey El Naranjo

Health Promoter Josefina Celestino

Medical Supplies to be distributed to the community of El Naranjo

Women wait in line to be seen by a gynecologist

Senia Vallejo Counselor, Mentor and Coordinator

Grandmother awaits to be treated

Staff members working with the kids of Batey El Naranjo