Porfiria is a 32-year-old street vendor and mother of six children. Her husband is living in the United States, but plans to move back to Guatemala soon. Her husband’s imminent return prompted Porfiria’s desire to have a tubal ligation as she felt that their economic situation would not allow them to support more children. She found out about WINGS through our partner organization APROFAM. At first Porfiria’s husband did not support her decision to get a tubal ligation. He had heard people say that women who used family planning were more promiscuous. However, after a long discussion about their future, Porfiria and her husband both agreed that she should go ahead with the surgery. Porfiria now feels that she will be able to enjoy more freedom in her sexual relationship with her husband, as an unintended pregnancy is no longer a risk. She hopes that her children will be able to attain a higher level of education than she and her husband have, and that they will excel in their studies and not get sidetracked by drugs or gangs. Because of her experience, Porfiria has become a strong supporter of WINGS’ work in the community. She has spoken to numerous other women about her operation and encouraged them to think about planning their own families.
Arturo Inhama, 40, grew up competing for food with his 10 brothers and sisters. On good days, they had two meals, giving the littlest ones priority. Arturo didn’t stand a chance of getting a solid education as he began working to help feed and clothe his younger sibling when he was still a child. He wants his family to be different. At a recent WINGS for men workshop in the city of Escuintla, Arturo learned about family planning methods and was excited to see that this could help him plan better for his three sons’ futures. He is now supporting his wife in using hormonal injections, and receives free condoms from WINGS at every workshop he attends for double protection. Arturo is a natural leader in his community – helping out with local men’s group and serving at his municipal council. Now he talks to men in Escuintla about family planning, and encourages them to join WINGS for Men workshops.
Alba, 32, already had five children when she recently decided to get a tubal ligation. From her small village, Alba had to walk approximately five miles to Yepocapa, where WINGS had helped to coordinate a mobile clinic providing low-cost voluntary sterilizations. Although she had wanted to undergo the operation for at least a year, she didn’t have the economic resources to do so. Alba’s husband is a farm worker and gives her Q180 (about $24) per week to provide for an extended family of eight. Luckily, because WINGS subsidized her operation, Alba was finally able to take control of her reproductive life. “I thank God for the help that WINGS brought me,” she said.
Luz is a 28-year-old nurse and volunteer family planning promoter in Zaragoza. She has been working with WINGS for two years to provide family planning education and short-term contraceptive methods to members of her community. She was first inspired to join WINGS’ promoter network because of her experiences volunteering with a youth group. She realized that the young people she worked with had limited knowledge of sexual and reproductive health, and were not able to protect themselves from sexually-transmitted infections or unwanted pregnancies. Now people in the community know that she offers access to family planning methods at an affordable price, or for free if they cannot afford to pay the nominal fee. They often feel more comfortable contacting her than visiting one of the four pharmacies in town because there is still significant stigma attached to family planning in the community. Luz believes that these services not only help people on an individual level, but also contribute to Guatemala’s long term development by reducing poverty and helping families to manage their limited resources.