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Improving health and awareness of poor families in Venezuela Ministering among the poor in Venezuela is one of hundreds of ways in which Medical Mission Sisters around the world try to be a healing presence to others today. Our Sisters in Venezuela have been able to expand their healing efforts with poor families over the past year in areas where they are already established in mission -- Barquisimeto, Caracas, El Nula and Maracaibo -- with help from a generous donor. In Barquisimeto, Sisters Maria Salema and Therese Cheruvallathu, with our Associate Vincenzia Fernandez, have been holding health camps for hundreds of patients. They also are conducting workshops every 2 weeks on such topics as: human values, nutrition, relationships within the family, reflexology, and massage. In the Technical School of Fe y Alegria, where Sister Maigualida Riera is head of the Pastoral Department, nearly 900 students from poor families have been assisted in the areas of general internal medicine and psychological help. The school received new medical supplies, and its medicine closet is now connected with the national network of Health Services (for the acquisition of medicine at cost), provided by the Religious Conference of Venezuela. In Caracas, where Sister Maria Emma Panizales lives and works, courses were conducted at 2 penitentiary centers for 200 persons on such topics as: right to due legal process, right to health, and self-esteem. And in El Nula, families with special-needs children are being visited and supported in 13 villages, many of them remote. In Maracaibo, Sister Marielena Ridad reports that students in community health are helping to conduct weekly workshops in neighboring barrios. The goal is to raise awareness of good health and disease prevention among the barrio residents. Over 100 people have already attended, many of them women. Topics include: how to conduct a census to determine the health of an area; health laws in the country that protect nursing mothers; care of newborn infants to prevent common diseases; and nutritional programs for diabetic patients. Our Sisters are very grateful to be able to expand their healing ministry with more health education and assistance to those in need in the urban and rural areas where they serve. November 15, 2009
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