THANK YOU ADRA FOR THE OPPORTUNITY YOU ARE GIVING US AND THE PEOPLE HERE
Girón, February 2025 | ADRA Colombia Press.
In the village of Bocas, in the municipality of Girón, Johanna has built her life with effort and resilience. After the loss of her parents, she found in her sister, nephew and children a loving home that sustains her in her daily struggle. For her, this place not only represents her story, but also her refuge and protection. Although at some point, she considered moving elsewhere, she decided to stay because she feels safe and supported by her family.
Currently, in addition to being a housewife, Johanna tells us that she is studying at the National Learning Service (SENA) , in the hope of providing a better future for her family. However, her path has not been without difficulties, especially in terms of her own and her children’s health. Accessing medical services has been a constant challenge. “Whenever I go to medical appointments there is always a long delay, the service is terrible”, she says with frustration.
Interview with Johanna during the health day at the Mobile Unit, Vereda Bocas, Girón - Santander [Photograph: ADRA Colombia]
Her son, who suffers from dust allergy, requires inhalers constantly, but it has been a constant struggle to get them through the public health system. The long waits at the Hospital del Norte in Bucaramanga, which is far from the village where they live, the lack of availability of medicines and the barriers due to the paperwork, have made this a long and exhausting process. She also mentions that “…when I was able to receive medical attention and was prescribed the medicines, I had to go to Bucaramanga to claim them, which meant time, money and, on many occasions, returning empty-handed because they were not available…”.
It was thanks to the president of the Bocas Community Action Board that Johanna learned about the SSIASUD health project that ADRA Colombia implements with the support of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. From the first time she heard about the project, she knew it was an invaluable opportunity for her family. “They told us there were no barriers to approach and ask, so from that moment on I saw that my son could get the care he so desperately needed”, she recalls with relief. Since being part of SSIASUD, Johanna has received medical consultations for herself and her children, access to medications and the ability to have lab tests when they needed it most. “The benefit of receiving the medications has been huge, because we can recover very quickly. Everything has been excellent”, she says gratefully.
Today, her quality of life and that of her children has improved significantly. Johanna knows she is not alone in her fight for her family’s health and sends a sincere message to those who make this project possible: “It is of great benefit, for the opportunity they are giving us. It is a blessing to have medicines available… We thank ADRA for this opportunity they are giving us, the people here, we are truly very grateful.”
________________________
SENA is a public educational institution in Colombia that offers free training in technical, technological and complementary programs.