Using Media to Help Communities Educate Themselves

Girls and women in developing communities are often vulnerable and overlooked. Their potential roles as key players in promoting spiritual and physical health in their communities can easily remain unrecognized. Medical Ambassadors International's mission is equipping communities for Christ-centered health and development, and the Women's Cycle of Life is a curriculum and training that directly addresses issues facing women spiritually, physically, socially, and financially. Working in tandem with Medical Ambassadors International's community health evangelism ministry, the Women's Cycle of Life curriculum & training equips women to take ownership of, and become key players in the well-being of their families and their communities. Women not only learn the spiritual and physical lessons for themselves, but they also learn to multiply the knowledge among their friends and neighbors. Their impact is remarkable!This presentation will provide participants with an overview of how Women's Cycle of Life (and Community Health Evangelism) training promotes health and development of the whole person and community. Specific case studies will be highlighted, showing the long-term impact of women who have been equipped, by God's grace, through Medical Ambassadors International and missions partners around the world.

Women’s Cycle of Life is training by andfor women, developed and designed bynurses especially trained in maternal andpublic health and following the CommunityHealth Evangelism strategy to bring bothhope and health to women everywhere!The training (previously calledCHEPS) was first piloted inHaiti in 1999. Since then, WCLtraining has taken place onevery continent around theglobe.WCL materials are simple,action oriented and deliveredusing a participatory teachingmethod that empowerswomen to adopt practicesthat improve their health and prevent disease.The method of teaching brings both spiritualand physical truths to women, improving theirhealth, the health of their families, and thehealth of their community.The Community Health Evangelism dissemination strategy ensures that theprogram is sustainable and multipliable. InEthiopia, for example, 17 women att endedone WCL seminar in 2009 and 23 new trainersatt ended the next one in April 2010. As of June2010, these women had taught at least onelesson to 1678 other women.WCL has grown into a curriculum whichdeals directly with women’s health issuesand addresses gender inequality from theperspective that we are created by God andcreated equally. Teachings from the Bible areused, showing that both men and women arewonderfully made in God’s sight. The lessonsare basic and simple to teach, making themeasily transferable.This breakout session will provide a demonstration of a Women's Cycle of Life lesson, samples of women's seminar topic lists, and several strategies for utilizing the curriculum to meet the needs of differing communities.