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Rosario González (second from left) with the rest of the Casa del Niño cervical cancer prevention team

Rosario González (second from left) with the rest of the Casa del Niño cervical cancer prevention team

Doña “Victoria” was just over 40-years-old when Casa del Niño coordinator Rosario González first met her. Rosario had traveled with her team to the distant rural community of El Horno (The Furnace) as part of their cervical cancer prevention campaign. Rosario recalled that, “Under the scorching sun, there was a group of women walking toward the community church. We called out to them and offered to talk with them about our prevention campaign. They invited us into the church, and there we talked with a small group of women; Victoria was one of them.”

A mother of eight—with a boy and seven girls—Victoria embodies the struggles and joys of many rural Nicaraguan women. As with most of the others gathered in the rustic church that day, Victoria had never heard of cervical cancer. Giggling one moment and quite serious the next, Victoria listened intently to the common myths of cervical cancer, as well as to the facts of this “silent disease” and to the stories of those who’ve battled it.

Casa del Niño, formally known as Centro Promocional Cristiano Por la Paz y la Vida

Casa del Niño, formally known as Centro Promocional Cristiano Por la Paz y la Vida

Rosario reflected to ProNica staff that, “In addition to limited resources for outreach, cultural beliefs related to “machismo” are among our biggest challenges.” Victoria was one of the few women that day that timidly moved forward and took advantage of the Pap smear test offered at the mobile clinic. When her results came back showing a high grade of abnormal cells, another “battle” for Victoria began. With the accompaniment of the Casa del Niño staff, Victoria was referred to a treatment clinic in the nearby city of Matagalpa. Recuperation was not an easy path, but as one of Victoria´s daughters earnestly pointed out, “If it hadn’t been for Casa del Niño’s visit to El Horno community, my mom would probably have died within a matter of months or years.”

The daughter’s reaction is what Rosario points out as one of her principal motors and sources of energy to continue working under the challenging conditions that confront Casa del Niño and similar community-based organizations: “We are obviously not happy when the tests come back showing abnormal results, but we think that if it wasn’t for these campaigns, there would be very small chances that women like Victoria would get the treatment and support they need, before is too late.” As Rosario reflected on the challenges and triumphs of the cervical cancer prevention campaign, an unmistakable look of contentment and peace fell over her face.

By Ramón Sepulveda, ProNica Program Director