Ejemplo de esfuerzo y liderazgo: La historia de Jacobo Estévez

The residents have been affected by gastrointestinal and respiratory diseases over the years. The nearby aldea Potrerillos had a temporary Rural Health Center (CESAR) that only provided basic assistance. Due to the need for a permanent location, USAID|NEXOS supported the construction of the necessary infrastructure for the new CESAR. A community committee, the Comité Pro Construcción del CESAR de Potrerillos, was formed three years ago to coordinate and manage resources and materials for the construction project. This is where the story of Jacobo Estévez, an example of effort and leadership, begins. Jacobo Estévez, a native of the aldea Potrerillos, is a coffee farmer and father of a family from a low-income background. He has been recognized for his commitment to the community, particularly in addressing the health issues in the aldea. Jacobo was proposed by the community members and decided to take on leadership and join the Comité Pro Construcción del CESAR. Initially, Jacobo and the committee members took various actions in the community, as the temporary CESAR did not meet the required standards. They sought support from the alcalde to make internal repairs, fix the roof, and provide sanitation facilities. The temporary CESAR had only one room in poor conditions, so they had to separate the area into independent cubicles to maintain privacy. They also built benches, tables, and shelves to store medications that were previously on the floor. This work was done with the goal of constructing a new CESAR, as the temporary one did not meet the basic conditions for attention. Despite the many infrastructure challenges and community demands, Jacobo and the committee members persisted and managed to secure support to initiate the construction project. The alcalde, Ricardo Fuentes, informed them that USAID|NEXOS had confirmed the construction of the new CESAR in the aldea Potrerillos. In this context, Jacobo played a crucial role in organizing the community and forming part of the comités comunitarios to initiate the new infrastructure project. He implemented a strategy of organizing 15 work groups, each with a coordinator and 10 members, who worked together to demolish, excavate, construct, and clean the site under the direction of albañiles, maestros de obra, and engineers. The work was carried out in a highly organized and effective manner, with different work schedules, resulting in a labor of teamwork that led to the construction of the best CESAR in the area. The new CESAR has improved the quality of healthcare services, allowing patients to be examined in private, perform cytologies, nebulization, and complete exams, which were not possible in the previous CESAR. The demand for patients has increased, with the CESAR now serving not only the aldea Potrerillos but also four other aldeas in Corquín and two communities in Ocotepeque, attending to over 600 people per month. The execution of this project has facilitated coordination and collaboration between the community and the municipal government to improve healthcare services. The new CESAR has met the established standards, and the community has expressed gratitude to USAID|NEXOS for their support. The alcalde of Corquín, Ricardo Fuentes, has publicly thanked USAID|NEXOS for their technical assistance, which has resulted in a high-level CESAR that will address the healthcare needs of the area and surrounding communities.