Empowering Indigenous Communities Through Community-Based Health Programs
Rosa, a proud member of an Indigenous Peoples (IP) community, once faced many barriers to accessing healthcare. Limited financial resources, reliance on traditional healing practices, and fear of discrimination often kept her and her family from visiting their local health center.
This changed when the Municipal Health Office, with support from INAM Philippines, reached out to their village elders. They were encouraged to take part in a program that placed health access and delivery in the hands of the community. Community members were trained to conduct health surveys, analyze results, and design their own community health programs based on their needs and traditions.
Through this initiative, Rosa emerged as one of the dedicated Community Health Workers (CHWs) in her area. She now helps provide essential health services to her fellow IP families and leads training sessions for new CHW volunteers.
Rosa is also part of a community health financing scheme, where each family contributes ₱1 a day to support members during times of illness. This simple yet powerful system strengthens solidarity and ensures that no one is left behind when it comes to healthcare.
Today, Rosa stands as a symbol of empowered Indigenous women—a health advocate ensuring that quality, culturally sensitive healthcare is accessible to all members of her community.