Overall targets
To capacitate Lenca indigenous people in Honduras to recover their ancestral healing practices.
Immediate targets
1. To capacitate Lencas through MILPAH to recover ancestral healing practices with the inclusion of Testimonial Therapy (TT) and other complementary practices. 2. To capacitate Lencas through MILPAH to pursue selected planned advocacy activities
Target groups
1. 15 healers, 8 female and 7 male members from the MILPAH councils. 2. 25 victims of state violence (men/women/children) and their familie. 3. 25 local authority persons (nurses, voluntary health personnel, patronages, education professionals, water boards, doctors). 4. 5 organisations related to MILPAH to be selected with whom strategic alliances will be established to strengthen the political advocacy process. 5. 15 persons (3 selected from each 5 MILPAH municipal councils) will be trained in advocacy techniques, then lead and carry out advocacy actions locally for the recognition of their ancestral healing practices.
Resume
The objective is to capacitate indigenous Lenca people in La Paz, Honduras to recover and advocate for their ancestral healing practices along with access to public health services: thereby strengthening resilience and empowering them to protect their land and identity. The intervention will accompany Lenca de La Paz Indigenous Movement (MILPAH), which will be strengthened in their effort to mobilise communities in this struggle. The intervention builds upon capacity-building activities in the project: "Social and political empowerment of leaders in 4 violence affected communities of Santa Elena, La Paz". It showed Testimonial Therapy (TT) to be pertinent in a Lenca context. MILPAH requested further co-operation aiming at reaching more families, capacitating MILPAH activists in the TT approach and in the implementation of their advocacy plan. The plan suggested training activities on issues of mental health, psychosocial techniques, natural medicine, and ancestral practices of healing, fundamental for achieving official recognition. The implementing partner, CIPREVI participated in the first intervention. It has continued to use insights from TT.