Eliana: A young leader shaping the future of her community
When Eliana Toro speaks, everyone in her community listens to her. Her words capture the attention of both elders and children because, despite her young age, her deep interest in her community has led her to become a leader at just 18 years old.
Since she was a child, Eliana demonstrated a natural inclination toward leadership and an unwavering commitment to the well-being of her people. Those around her see in her an innate leader, capable of facing complex situations and being the voice of her community to the outside world.
Trilillamana, her home, is a Wayuu community located in the rural area of the coastal municipality of Manaure, in the department of La Guajira, in northern Colombia. Like many communities in this region, Trilillamana lacks access to basic health services, education, and other fundamental needs, making it difficult for its inhabitants to experience a decent quality of life. Due to the distance between communities and urban areas, their residents lack opportunities to join the Colombian health system; in many cases, they do not have the presence of the state or the necessary guidance to access the services intended for the population.
In 2022, Eliana learned about the offer of the program “Development of dialogue structures for reform in rural healthcare” – MAP Salud. This program invited Wayuu young people, between 18 and 30 years old, to train for the “Community Health Workers” diploma.
This program was developed by Malteser International Americas, with funds from the Federal Ministry of Economic Cooperation and Development of the government of Germany, and with the support of the local partner Ipsi Anashiwaya, in charge of generating a dialogue with the communities for the implementation of the program activities.
A total of 50 young people, including Eliana, from 20 rural and ethnic communities in Riohacha and Manaure, La Guajira, completed the diploma. During the course, they were trained in promoting health care, disease prevention, management of technology tools and health information, and human rights and affiliation processes of the health system for the migrant population of Venezuela and Colombians returned to host communities.
Youth as catalysts for change
These young people assume the responsibility of supporting the implementation of program activities in their territories. Their role focuses on working for the well-being of the community, increasing awareness of the local reality, identifying needs, and proposing solutions in humanitarian response sectors that benefit their communities.
Eliana, seeing this opportunity, decided to postpone the start of her university studies after finishing school. Instead, she chose to focus on the diploma and the different training workshops that this program offered, which aim to prepare young people as leaders of their communities and turn them into the bridge between their territories and the various offers in health, education, and development that promote culturally and environmentally sustainable lifestyles.
Today, many of these young people work in the health sector, being guides in their communities, as is the case with Eliana. She considers that both the diploma course and the workshops and health brigades held in her community have contributed to shaping her new life goals.
“Less than a week ago I started studying Biology at the University of La Guajira, inspired by the work and all the processes that I learned about at Malteser International Americas. I knew that my focus would have to be this, research and preservation of life.”
Eliana Toro
Eliana is aware that her path as a young leader is just beginning. Today, she feels proud of how her family listens to her and follows her advice and instructions. Her work as a liaison between the community and health centers facilitates access to medical services, helps the population understand the procedures related to medical care, encourages community participation in decision-making on health issues, and identifies those people with risk factors for certain diseases, referring them to specialized health services.
Eliana’s story seeks to recognize the work of those young people who, living in rural, indigenous and difficult-to-access areas, believe in themselves.
This text is based on an article by Malteser International Americas from August, 2024.
