Small Victories
I have only just started my experience as a Deportes Para La Vida (DPV) Fellow, but already it has become apparent how valuable the work of the program is to the youth of the community, from seeing A Ganar participants beginning their job training to observing Luchadores por el Cambio and DPV participants going through the curriculum and programs. The youth that seek guidance and understanding quickly find that DREAM programs provide that space for them. Often, when an organization fills a void, there is a presumption that participation will not just be swift but so overwhelming that the organization will not meet demand. That belief has already been challenged by my DREAM Fellowship experience. One particular event put on by the DPV program in collaboration with CEPROSH, a health focused NGO, to offer free HIV testing was a clear example. There is a high rate of HIV among Dominicans with .9% of the population currently living with HIV and rates climbing in the youth population. However, structural barriers, including lack of dependable healthcare, little to no sexual education and cultural and religious conservatism, contribute to stigma around testing and conversations about STI’s and STD’s. I thought it would be an incredibly busy event with folks anxiously seeking tests, a service that those without health insurance or limited means would normally not be able to access. The event was not unsuccessful, as folks from the community showed up to take advantage of the service, but, given the reality of HIV in the country, not nearly as many folks as I had imagined attended. I began to feel disheartened, but now I understand how important it is to ground myself by remembering the structural barriers that are preventing people from being able to take advantage of this and other services provided by DREAM and other NGOs in the area.
Later in the day, a young woman showed up to the testing site with her mother and son. Her mother, without hesitation, signed up for testing, and I noticed the daughter was left to wait outside. The young boy was quickly distracted by a medical glove filled with air, so I went up to the young mother. I asked her if she was getting tested, and she nervously said no. My frustration should have come to the forefront, but my mind made way for empathy instead. I asked her why and, without detail, she simply said that tests made her nervous. Having experienced these nerves before myself, I told her it is always better to know, that knowledge is power and that a quick moment of discomfort would be worth it. I walked her over to registration and assured her every step of the way that it was okay. She looked at me as she got her finger pricked, and I knew I had contributed to her doing something that was healthy and valuable. I was empowered by the fact that my own experiences make me self-aware and passionate about helping to fill gaps I was observing. This moment with the young mother was tangible, and I found myself healing with someone else through my work. No matter the results of the exam, this young woman had chosen to know, to empower herself with knowledge and maybe dismantle fears and anxieties related to sexual health along the way. I am looking forward to these types of small victories as I continue my Fellowship experience not just for myself but for the community I have chosen to serve.
About the Author: Genesis Marte, Deportes Para la Vida & Program Development Fellow
Miss Marte is a graduate of American University in Washington, D.C., with a degree in Law and Society. She has extensive U.S.-based immigration law experience, including working for the Global Mobility and Migration group at Mayer Brown LLP and Catholic Charities Immigration and Refugee Services Program as a legal assistant. Most recently, she served as the Grant Implementation Coordinator for the National Immigrant Women's Advocacy Project, a D.C.-based non-profit organization that trains and assists practitioners that work with immigrant crime victims. She is dedicated to working with women and young girls facing institutionalized inequality and violence globally by improving their access to justice and safety. As a Dominican woman, she is particularly excited to work with the young girls and boys in DREAM's DPV, Única and Luchadores por el Cambio programs to improve their ability to navigate the complexities of adulthood.