Domestic Violence: A CHE lesson in Casandra

January-July 2018: A roundup review of the CHE work in southwestern Dominican Republic: Blog #9

As many of you know, Jenny and I are mission workers with the Presbyterian Church (USA), working for their international mission outreach agency, World Mission (PC(USA) World Mission). We have been stationed in the Dominican Republic since 2012, helping promote, support and develop the Community Health Evangelism outreach program of our partner here, the Dominican Evangelical Church (IED--Iglesia Evangélica Dominicana).

2018 has been an an exciting year, with three of the four communities where we work taking on a number of new challenges. This blog is part of a series of eleven short presentations of the work that has been developing. I am posting them in reverse order so that the images from January will be at the "beginning." This also represents a commitment on my part to fully complete my blog ambitions.

Domestic Violence: A CHE lesson in Casandra

For a number of months now, Jenny has been challenging the CHE promoters-facilitators in Casandra and Jaquimeyes to take CHE lessons and lead them in their respective communities. A Community Health Evangelism (CHE) lesson can be about any number of topics, but they all follow a common pattern. The lesson starts out with some time of drama, story or perhaps even a photo or a painting, that presents some challenge to the participants--something that they have to think about. When we get it right, the drama, story or picture stirs up emotions, pricks their conscious also, perhaps, but definitely gets everyone thinking and talking. It can be hit or miss, but when we get the first part right, the rest of the lesson flows naturally. Jenny and I use the term "code" for these initial stories or dramas; you can think of them as parables, much like what Jesus used.

After observing or listening, the promoter or facilitator begins asking a set of questions. The questions can vary, depending on the code or parable but the normal pattern of  the questions is:

"What did you see or hear?" 

"What was the problem or the difficulty being exposed?

"Does that happen here in this community?"

"What are some of the consequences when this happens here in the community?

"What are some of the causes of this situation?

"What can we do about it?"

Jenny and I have a database of hundreds of CHE lessons on topics ranging from childbirth to prostate cancer. Choosing the lessons is the tricky/scary part for me, but Jenny has more courage and patience to sieve through all that is offered and land on something worthwhile. One very successful lesson that the promoters in Casandra did was called, "How do I see myself." Bellanira, Andreina and Pastor Belkys gave testimonies from that event, describing participants who sobbed as they came to realize that they had been suffering for years from poor self-esteem for unworthy reasons.

Another lesson that Bella and Belkys led on  Monday, July 16 was about domestic violence, a problem that is receiving extensive coverage in the Dominican media and at the national level of the Dominican Evangelical Church. Here are images from the lesson:

Two participants, prepared by Bellanira, provide the initial
dramatization to begin the lesson on Domestic Violence.
July 2018. Photo by Bellanira Matos.

Participants watch the action. July 2018.
Photo by Bellanira Matos.

The story concludes and the actresses take a bow. July 2018. Photo by
Bellanira Matos.

Pastor Belkys (far left) leads the group in reflection on the drama
that unfolded. "Does this happen here in this community?" "Why?"
"What can we do about it?" July 2018. Photo by Bellanira Matos.

The important thing to remember about the CHE lessons is that they are not the end point. They are, when things go well, the beginning of something new, seeds that are planted that hopefully will sprout and grow--given proper care and plenty of watering.