samedi 28 avril 2012

PEER EDUCATION AND PREVENTION OF DIABETES AMONG THE INDIANS


PEER-TO-PEER P2P EDUCATION AMONG CHEYENNE RIVER LAKOTA INDIANS

I have just spent five full days at the Youth Diabetes Prevention Programme, under the guidance of MS M Walking Elk. The days flew past, despite it being long days from 6 am wake up to 12 midnight going to sleep. But each day was exciting and extremely satisfying.
I had just been with Maurits van Pelt and Rin the Primary Peer Educator of the Programme, MoPoTsyo Education in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. I realized that what Ms MWE and her staff of dedicated local people were doing was just that, Peer-to-Peer Education. So I concentrated on this visit, on the education and learning experience of the Peers, in this case Lifestyle Guides for the Indian children. On the last day, a Friday when the bright weather had changed into windy and rainy, I gave an anthropological opinion of our experience together.
Seven out of Ten children and their families have made some sort of changes that would be reflected in the body measurements, most welcomingly the decrease in body fat percentage!
In the article I had mentioned in the previous blog citing a study from the Harvard University, which credits the social factors and interventions for the reduction of childhood obesity in Massachusetts.
I could honestly say about Youth Diabetes Prevention Programme of the Lakota at Cheyenne River, the following, regarding the right direction of the outcome of their hard work:
Good Management of the Staff by Ms MWE. Each member of the staff has a unique personality but they blend in well together and produce what is promised.
The Staff members feel  a sense of freedom
The staff was carefully chosen for their dedication to the objective, which is the continuing good health into the future of the Indian Children. They were very eager and keen to learn more things and asked questions for which I had to prepare answers each night.
The Peer Educator, called the Outreach Worker, was from the community they were serving and new the target population very well. This is a spread out reservation and distances are large.
I thoroughly enjoyed my days with the Cheyenne River Lakota and I bid adieu to them, knowing well that they will be in my heart in the days to come: regardless of where I would be, Indonesia, Cambodia, France or Cuba!
MERCI BEAUCOUP, MES AMIS LAKOTA!


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