Segment 1

FELIX AGUILAR RAMIREZ [Local Health Worker]

My name is Felix Aguilar Ramirez and I’m a healthcare outreach worker. The community chose me. And I accepted. This was a chance for me to grow. Not only for me, but for my family. So that’s how I decided to become a part of Save the Children. Save the children taught us how to examine the children. To see if they are seriously ill. In this community, we don’t always have the medicine or supplies to treat a severe illness. So we have to refer people from here to the hospital. There are mothers who don’t know where to go when their children get sick. So it’s all about finding a way to make things better so that once the children are taken care of their mothers can relax. My days have been very busy since I started with the program. There are days when I get to work at 8 a.m. and arrive back home at 9 p.m. I am either making home visits or at the health center. And sometimes suddenly there are lots of people arriving at the clinic, and I have to try to help them all. There are times when so many people come that I can’t see everyone in a day. I have to ask some to come back the next day. Here in the community there are a lot of people who value my work. There are people who support me. That makes me feel good. And this is something that is going to continue to grow. It makes me so happy that I now have the ability to help a family. I am motivated because I can save a life.

TITLE

The leading causes of death for children under five in Guatemala are largely preventable. As a local health worker, Felix has helped to treat hundreds of sick children. Help Felix and other local health workers reach more children.