Garcia Vigil #702, Centro, 68000, Oaxaca, Oax.

Tel/Fax: 61621

In 1991, when Bishop Bartalemo Carrasco Briseña of the National Council on Indigenous People asked, "What are we going to do about our people's health?" the answer was to draw on the wisdom of indigenous heritage. Eight doctors were brought in to reteach individuals many of the natural medical techniques used by indigenous cultures for centuries. When the doctors left, the organization PROSA was created to continue the teaching of natural medicine.

Based in Oaxaca, PROSA reaches out to villages all across the state and trains individuals from across the country. PROSA's structure, mission, and material is designed to empower. With 287 health workers, working with 168 villages, PROSA is well on their way to meeting their mission "to strengthen the organization of communities in the promotion of integrated health." The PROSA office runs a clinic, but focusing most of their energy on training health promoters, who in turn visit rural communities, both treating health problems and training community members to prevent and treat other health problems naturally.

In order to expand their grassroots network, 25 health educators have just been trained, who will be responsible for spreading out across the state to train more health promoters. The promoters are responsible for everything from teaching basic classes on the major health issues in the community to preparing natural medicines from herbs found in their community.

In a diverse state like Oaxaca, where over 16 different languages are spoken, one of the biggest assets PROSA offers is their network of indigenous people, who are able to teach classes in the native languages. Due to the mountainous and rural conditions of the state, health promoters sometimes travel over 20 hours, much of the time on foot, to be able to reach the villages. PROSA services are not free, but are offered at very reasonable prices. Communities can barter by providing herbs to the main PROSA pharmacy.

Basic Classes:

There are five basic classes in PROSA's curriculum, which are taught through drama, music, and tradition methods. Each class covers education on the anatomy of the body, as well as natural prevention and treatment techniques for each of the following areas:

1. All the Sicknesses from Unpotable Water. 2. All the Sicknesses from Lack of Proper Housing and Clothing. 3. All the Sicknesses from too Much Work. 4. All the Sicknesses from Sex. 5. All the Sicknesses from Poor Nutrition.

"We always try to talk about the reality of the area - politics, economy, religion - teaching the community to know themselves better." - Alejandra, pictured above.

Philosophy of Health:

PROSA work focuses on five areas of health: diet, environment, exercise, positive thinking, and breathe. Most of their testing is done by using acupuncture points and kinetic energy. One creative, easily transportable method of treatment is using kinetic energy to test acupuncture points on the ear. There is an acupuncture point for each part of the body located on the ear. When the health promoter finds an area of concern, a small seed is taped onto the acupuncture point. The treated individual is able to apply pressure on the seed throughout the day, thus practicing acupuncture on oneself through a non-intimidating, yet effective means.

Clinic:

PROSA also runs a clinic two days a week in Oaxaca, which sees a variety of patients, including several from other countries. Recently, several doctors have recommended patients to PROSA who cannot afford and choose not to have surgery or expensive medical procedure.

A Project of The Rural Coalition
1012 14th Street NW Suite 1100
Washington, DC 20005
Telephone (202) 628-7160; Fax (202) 628-7165
Toll Free 1-866-RURAL-80