Bi-lingual Health Education Materials
CTripleS collaborated with the Faculty of Education of the Autonomous University of Yucatan (UADY) in an effort to develop and produce accurate and compelling health promotion materials for use in communities where a significant number of people are bi-lingual speakers of Yucatec Maya and Spanish.
The 1990 Mexican national census indicates that there are 700,000 speakers of Maya in Yucatan. While few speak no Spanish, anecdotal information suggests that Maya is central to thinking and explaining the natural world, including bodily functions and health, for those who grow up using the language. We explored this suggestion in depth, through structured interactions with parents of primary school aged children and teachers in their community schools. Words, terms and concepts were identified that are used to describe physical and mental states, and to persuade and convince. This fieldwork, supplemented by an extensive literature review, was used as a basis for development of the bi-lingual materials produced by the project.
The majority of people using the Maya language today live in rural areas, where health is affected by a variety of environmental factors. They tend to have limited financial resources, and less access to physicians for care. Prevention is clearly of primary importance for family well being. Specific health issues to be addressed were defined based on cmmunity needs and desires.
Interviews and focus groups were conducted with residents and teachers in three communities, in an effort to understand the major issues and concerns for families in rural communities. A graphic designer was of the project team, to ensure that format was addressed effectively from the outset. Materials were distributed in targeted communities by staff of the SEDESOL, the state arm of the national Secretariat for Social Development. While resources did not permit the production of sufficient materials to cover all of the 120,000 state participants in the program “Oportunidades,” those communities with the greatest number of Maya speakers were prioritized. It is these communities that tend to have the least resources, and the highest need for preventive health intervention strategies.
Bringing the Project to Fruition
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July 2005
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Ready for distribution in August, just prior to the opening of the new school year, this School Year Calendar (Calendario Escolar) was distributed to families living in small rural communities where at least 80 percent of the population speaks Maya. The health issues addressed were identified by community members as important to their families and the design of the materials was judged to be interesting, attractive, and culturally appropriate. Calendars were
distributed to approximately 5,000 families.
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