Throughout Don Quijote, there are mini-stories. Often, the stories can be related to the main narrative of Don Quijote’s adventures in knighthood. However, there are individuals/critics that feel the stories within the story are unnecessary and could be removed without interruption or great loss. I’m not of agreement. So much so that I choose now to emulate the Cervantes, further than I already have, and introduce a novella within my main narrative. However, unlike Cervantes, I’m not clever enough to fully connect it to my experience and story yet, other than the fact that it’s significant as is.

Nurse M presented this book to me initially as a children’s book. With that impression, I was stunned by the truth, frankness, and delivery within the book. It wasn’t unfathomable though. I believed this initial introduction. After thoroughly reading it several times though, I now know it’s a self-declared “illustrated guide (for adults).” I did like the idea of it being designed for children though.  The subject is so heavy and requires tactful delivery, especially for a young audience. I think with the appropriate facilitator and adult, this could be used as a resource for a children’s charla on domestic violence.

I want to share this amazing publication with anyone who passes by this blog and this page. To have it be acknowledged and recognized because Nurse M recovered it from the recesses of the centro. I am so grateful she let me borrow it for the nine weeks and then keep it as a gift. I’ve scanned and translated the pages in order to save it here on this blog, although I’ll guard the physical book in my personal library until the pages or I myself fade away.

 

The guide has four parts; the first being the longest. I’ll begin with the first, and throughout the remainder of the summer, I’ll sandwich the book throughout my posts, in true Cervantes style, por supuesto (of course).

Graphic Guide for Addressing Domestic Violence, with the Personnel of the Health Sector and the Community

Derechos Humanos… Human Rights

Defendamos nuestra vida... Defending our lives. Knowing, attending to, and Stopping violence against women in couple relationships

Prensentación… Introduction

Alto a la violencia… Stop the violence

La violencia es un problema de salud…

Violence is a health problem that in Nicaragua results in every 20 minutes a woman beaten or sexually abused by her partner and many of these women are admitted to the emergency room of our country’s hospitals.

The analysis of the situation of women living in conditions of violence and/or who have been victims of a violent act is a public health problem that requires a comprehensive approach involving the state, family, society, and community. With this perspective, the Ministry of Health, in coordination with the Integral Health Project for Men and Women (PRO-SALVAR), financed by the Government of the Netherlands and the World Bank, has considered the development of a graphic guide for the addressing of spousal violence directed at the personnel of the health and community sector.

The Five Year Health Plan 2005-2009 addresses violence as one of the main health problems and proposes the strengthening of actions to prevent and protect women’s health, relying on the participation of society, family, the people, and the community to reduce rates of violence.

Spousal violence appears to be an important cause in the analysis of the cases of maternal deaths; furthermore, it is associated with pregnancies and births resulting from rape, which have increased in recent years; the death of women due to malnutrition is related to the existing system of domination and exclusion, thus diminishing their quality of life.

Another relevant factor is the generated expense to the Ministry of Health in the attention of violence that is increasing so that in one year 250 million córdobas were spent to care for people who suffered from violence. As we see the damages as well as for the personnel, are also a blow to the economy of our country.

The graphic guide that we are giving to you all today aims to contribute to the addressing of violence in the family, the couple, and the community, and especially it proposes to contribute to the formation of more just and equitable/fair relationships in our society.

Our intention is that together (men and women) we establish ethical terms and of human commitment, in order to address with a different perspective the women who have access to our health services and to promote new patterns in the relationships between men and women, in society and in the family.

I want to thank all the people who participated in this important process and the commitment to participate in this arduous task.

índice… Index

  1. Comprendiendo la violencia… Understanding the violence against women in relationships
  2. Principios para la atención…. Principles for the attention, Focusing on rights
  3. Primer momento… First moment. A health volunteer informs (her)
  4. Segundo momento… Second moment. Security plan

 

This blog post contains copyrighted material, the use of which may not have been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. This material is available in an effort to explain and discuss issues relevant to domestic violence in Nicaragua as well as my internship and Loewenstern experience or to illustrate the use and benefits of this guide as an educational and service tool. The material contained in this website is distributed without profit for educational purposes and is intended for educational purposes only. The translations of the original work are my own.