Community Education on Sexual and Environmental Health (ECOSS)
CASA's signature service is adolescent peer-to-peer teen counseling. CASA teen counselors work on a daily basis in some 20+ unique, rural villages that have been chosen because of their difficult accessibility and conditions that are below poverty level. The young “promotores” have been carefully trained to interact with village youth in discussions about reproductive health, general health, human rights and local environmental issues that impact the health of their communities.
The underlying philosophy for the CASA adolescent health education and outreach program is that through individual empowerment and education, young people, especially young women, will take pride in their human and their reproductive rights. Through that education, decisions will be made to avoid unwanted and unplanned pregnancies. With this knowledge and newly gained self-esteem, the peer-to-peer counselor will be able to work in the community, providing sexual and health education to other adolescents, in an overall effort to build a sense of community responsibility.
2010 Goal
To increase by 15% the knowledge of our peer counselors in order to have a greater impact inside
the community and to start a campaign on bringing about awareness in rural and urban zones on
issues like family planning, domestic violence and gender equality.
I was ignorant of so many things when I began working at CASA. But in short time, I learned all I know about civil rights and sexual health. It was engaging work, and apart from all of the knowledge I gained, I learned the importance of womanhood - the valor that a woman has - and the first time I went to the countryside it was something altogether different for me, because not only could I share with them the experience I had received at CASA, but I had opened up enough to learn from them as well.
Hayde Alejandra Guerrero Morales
2006 CASA Básicos Promoter
The time I have spent at CASA has helped me make decisions in my personal life as well as in the work; the information has helped me grow a lot as a person. I like working at CASA because I like to interact with the community as well as my team members, and their experiences help me in my own life.
Ana Delia Luna
ECOSS Program Coordinator
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Achievements to Date:
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1, 509,066 domestic visits in more than 250 communities in the state of Guanajuato.
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Subsequently 31,917 people use the family planning methods.
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1,561 courses given to 23,663 parents. 13, 170 adolescents and pre-adolescents received 2000 courses about sexual education, human rights, self-esteem, and environmental education among others.
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1,959 soy cooking classes.
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330 campaigns promoting cleaning and recycling in the community.
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237 family gardens growing squash, green beans, cilantro and onion.
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3,700 trees have been grown through 16 annual reforestation campaigns in schools and
communities.
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A manual for CASA Counselors (in color and bound) was written and designed by others
within the institution.
Básicos Promoters Help Design and Plant Sustainable, Edible Gardens |
