Roots of Health

Roots of Health (Ugat ng Kalusugan) is a nonprofit organization focused on improving the reproductive, maternal and sexual health of women, girls, and their communities in Puerto Princesa, Palawan in the Philippines. The organization aims to encourage self-reliance and independence among women, young people and families in Palawan by providing scientifically accurate information on health, along with age-appropriate educational services to change health attitudes and behaviors.[1] Roots of Health also seeks to reduce the incidence of maternal mortality, HIV and promote the importance of preventing teenage pregnancy to help ensure continued education.

History

Roots of Health was founded in 2009 by Susan Evangelista and her daughter Amina Evangelista Swanepoel. Evangelista, a professor at Palawan State University, was initially concerned about the unplanned pregnancies and lack of reproductive health knowledge among her students. Recognizing this unmet need, the two women worked together to establish an organization focusing on reproductive and women’s health, with the larger goal of improving health and quality of life in this impoverished province of the Philippines.

Work

Women-Oriented Programs[2]

Roots of Health employs a rigorous needs assessment process that involves interviews and surveys in order to select underserved communities in Puerto Princesa that would most benefit from their work. Once the communities are selected, they offer a comprehensive package of programs and services to any and all women and young people in the community who wish to partake, including the following:

  • Contraceptive Acceptors Program
  • Healthy Pregnancy Program (i.e., free pregnancy testing, provision of prenatal vitamins, medical check-ups)
  • Community Health Advocate Program
  • Medical Missions

The organization currently has ten active communities in Puerto Princesa City. The missions are conducted to reach poor women in isolated areas of Palawan. Roots of Health have provided services as far as Balabac in the South and Coron in the North.

Youth-Oriented Programs[3]

  • Youth Advocate Program
  • Reproductive health, puberty and HIV seminars for high school and college students
  • Health fairs for college and high schools
  • Usapang K (Talk K) radio show and website

Children-Oriented Programs[4]

  • Community educational support program (i.e., recreational activities for children whose mothers are participating in the maternal health/financial literacy classes)

Media recognition

Roots of Health was recently recognized by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation’s Family Health Division as a headline non-profit for funding on Catapult.org.[5] Their staff and programming have been consistently featured in notable global and national news outlets, including The Guardian.[6]

Swanepoel, the Executive Director, has also been featured in several publications including Celebrity Living, Women’s Health and Cosmopolitan Magazine. She was named a finalist for the Millennium Development Goal of Improving Maternal Health. and previously nominated for an MDG Warrior award by Probe Media Foundation in the Philippines.[7]

Board members

  • Dr. Marty Dewees
  • Justine Fonte
  • Dr. Sabrina Hermosilla
  • Suneeta Kaimal
  • Christine Moran
  • Keefe Murren
  • Rachel Ocampo
  • Stefanie K. Schmidt

Advisory committee

  • Carlos Celdran
  • Pamela Cajilig
  • Mae Legazpi
  • Dr. Junice Melgar
  • Nancy Mikkelson
  • Sara Reysio-Cruz

See also

Roots of Health Website - "Homecoming Heroes" Smile Magazine. Kat Jack, August 2010.

References

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