Analysis of Project Piaxtla Using a Participatory Planning Approach
Added on 2023-06-11
11 Pages3120 Words235 Views
|
|
|
Participatory planning: 1
Analysis of Project Piaxtla Using a Participatory Planning Approach
By
(name)
Course
Tutor
University
Analysis of Project Piaxtla Using a Participatory Planning Approach
By
(name)
Course
Tutor
University
Participatory planning: 2
Introduction
Piaxtla project is a program based on primary health care provision in the rural setting of
Mexico. With its entire activities being conducted by local villagers, it ended up deriving its
name from a river located in the nearby foothills of Sierra Madre ranges (Delaney, 1977). Dating
back to 1965, the program was formulated to serve the sparsely populated Sinaloa state which is
also large and rugged. The program has deeply established its roots in Ajoya, which is the largest
village within the area covered by Piaxtla. Since it was incepted, David Werner has shown
intensified involvement to the program’s affairs as its advisor and facilitator (Packard, 2016). At
its initial stages, it was dominated by diseases of poverty which majorly comprised of chronic
undernutrition and diarrhea. It had also been observed that out of three children, one of them died
before attaining the age of five more so due to the fore mentioned diseases. Additionally, 0.7%
of women were anemic with 0.1% of women losing their lives during or after child birth. These
conditions brought about untold social injustices and inequity (Ekins, 2005) as will be discussed
later on.
Assessment of needs and changes over time in need assessments.
Participatory planning majorly involves definition, proposals and enforcement of
management plans basing on issues that are of common interest in the community (Weil, et al.,
2013). Project Piaxtla entailed the same approach as the local inhabitants managing the program
made decisions based on the common problems that were affecting a larger section of the
community. Participatory approach theory therefore derives its main concerns on issue that are of
effect to the majority in the area of study (Blumenthal & DiClemente, 2013) and seeks to come
up with various models that will help resolve the problems identified.
Introduction
Piaxtla project is a program based on primary health care provision in the rural setting of
Mexico. With its entire activities being conducted by local villagers, it ended up deriving its
name from a river located in the nearby foothills of Sierra Madre ranges (Delaney, 1977). Dating
back to 1965, the program was formulated to serve the sparsely populated Sinaloa state which is
also large and rugged. The program has deeply established its roots in Ajoya, which is the largest
village within the area covered by Piaxtla. Since it was incepted, David Werner has shown
intensified involvement to the program’s affairs as its advisor and facilitator (Packard, 2016). At
its initial stages, it was dominated by diseases of poverty which majorly comprised of chronic
undernutrition and diarrhea. It had also been observed that out of three children, one of them died
before attaining the age of five more so due to the fore mentioned diseases. Additionally, 0.7%
of women were anemic with 0.1% of women losing their lives during or after child birth. These
conditions brought about untold social injustices and inequity (Ekins, 2005) as will be discussed
later on.
Assessment of needs and changes over time in need assessments.
Participatory planning majorly involves definition, proposals and enforcement of
management plans basing on issues that are of common interest in the community (Weil, et al.,
2013). Project Piaxtla entailed the same approach as the local inhabitants managing the program
made decisions based on the common problems that were affecting a larger section of the
community. Participatory approach theory therefore derives its main concerns on issue that are of
effect to the majority in the area of study (Blumenthal & DiClemente, 2013) and seeks to come
up with various models that will help resolve the problems identified.
Participatory planning: 3
There were various approaches adopted in assessing the needs that prevailed over time in
the Piaxtla project. The needs identified at one particular time were however not constant
throughout as once resolved, new categories of needs came up and needed the managerial team
to divert their attention to them. To begin with, the prevailing and deteriorating health situation
in Sinaloa as previously reflected by the initial findings of the project brought about inequitable
and unfair distribution of wealth, land and power (Brachet-Márquez, 2014). Majority of poor
families located in the rural areas and locally referred to as campesino had little or no land to call
their own property. Those lucky enough to own land possessed that which was of inferior
quality. On the contrary, rich local families (a handful of them) were the owners of massive
tracts of land and specifically the river valley land which was fertile (Whiteley, et al., 2008). In
addition, they owned large numbers of cattle and were able to access quality healthcare anytime
that they needed it. It therefore goes without saying that majority of the residents were being
denied their constitutional rights and basic needs. Whenever they attempted to organize
themselves and demand for what is rightfully theirs, the few rich families completely blocked
their attempts as they had complete control over the community council of Ajoya.
Strategies that were aimed at improving the health status by Project Piaxtla assessed the
prevailing needs and evolved in three phases. The earliest phase had little concern on political
agenda and was therefore concerned with improvement of curative care as well as preventive
care. Local health promoters located in the village were educated and trained by means of
participatory approaches, and ‘learning by doing’ methods which greatly improved their
competency in treating common injuries and illnesses. Needs identified here were mainly linked
to cultural, physical and biological situations. If for example a child died due to diarrhea, the
needs that medical promoters diverted their attention to included seeking ways to eradicate;
There were various approaches adopted in assessing the needs that prevailed over time in
the Piaxtla project. The needs identified at one particular time were however not constant
throughout as once resolved, new categories of needs came up and needed the managerial team
to divert their attention to them. To begin with, the prevailing and deteriorating health situation
in Sinaloa as previously reflected by the initial findings of the project brought about inequitable
and unfair distribution of wealth, land and power (Brachet-Márquez, 2014). Majority of poor
families located in the rural areas and locally referred to as campesino had little or no land to call
their own property. Those lucky enough to own land possessed that which was of inferior
quality. On the contrary, rich local families (a handful of them) were the owners of massive
tracts of land and specifically the river valley land which was fertile (Whiteley, et al., 2008). In
addition, they owned large numbers of cattle and were able to access quality healthcare anytime
that they needed it. It therefore goes without saying that majority of the residents were being
denied their constitutional rights and basic needs. Whenever they attempted to organize
themselves and demand for what is rightfully theirs, the few rich families completely blocked
their attempts as they had complete control over the community council of Ajoya.
Strategies that were aimed at improving the health status by Project Piaxtla assessed the
prevailing needs and evolved in three phases. The earliest phase had little concern on political
agenda and was therefore concerned with improvement of curative care as well as preventive
care. Local health promoters located in the village were educated and trained by means of
participatory approaches, and ‘learning by doing’ methods which greatly improved their
competency in treating common injuries and illnesses. Needs identified here were mainly linked
to cultural, physical and biological situations. If for example a child died due to diarrhea, the
needs that medical promoters diverted their attention to included seeking ways to eradicate;
Participatory planning: 4
dehydration, gut infection, diarrhea, contamination through faecal matter, shortages of latrines,
and no supply to clean drinking water. As the prevailing needs were gradually eradicated by the
initial move, the program’s focus on the other hand gradually shifted to promotive and
preventive measures. Such measures included provision of latrines, water systems and initiating
vaccination moves. The second phase was also productive as various illnesses that were initially
common in the locality faded away and there was notable improvement in the overall health of
the residents. Minimization of tetanus, whooping cough, polio and measles which had been
identified as the primary need of the second phase of the project was actualized.
However, the number of children and women who were malnourished remained high and
more so in the years when the harvests were poor (Ruiz, 2010). Mortality rates of children below
five years was still sky rocketing among children thriving from families with poor backgrounds.
Majority of these families remained landless, received poor wages and were exploited by the few
rich in many ways. These conditions therefore resulted to change in the program’s focus. Its
main concern became fighting for peoples’ needs and basic rights. Thus evolution therefore
brought about social-political action. The key drivers of the shift to organized actions were
discovery based and learner centered approach of solving problems in health education. In the
third phase therefore, the local residents were able to link their prevailing needs to malnutrition,
lack of enough food, lack of money, lack of enough fertile land for cultivation, corruption in
majority of public institutions, deficiency of participatory democracy and finally poor communal
organisation and actions by people. (Narayanasamy, 2009)
Upon definition of the common problems and their root causes, the group would initiate
participation of all its members to give proposals of the most viable solutions. At times, the fore
mentioned was achieved through story-telling and use of role plays. Alternatively, in order to
dehydration, gut infection, diarrhea, contamination through faecal matter, shortages of latrines,
and no supply to clean drinking water. As the prevailing needs were gradually eradicated by the
initial move, the program’s focus on the other hand gradually shifted to promotive and
preventive measures. Such measures included provision of latrines, water systems and initiating
vaccination moves. The second phase was also productive as various illnesses that were initially
common in the locality faded away and there was notable improvement in the overall health of
the residents. Minimization of tetanus, whooping cough, polio and measles which had been
identified as the primary need of the second phase of the project was actualized.
However, the number of children and women who were malnourished remained high and
more so in the years when the harvests were poor (Ruiz, 2010). Mortality rates of children below
five years was still sky rocketing among children thriving from families with poor backgrounds.
Majority of these families remained landless, received poor wages and were exploited by the few
rich in many ways. These conditions therefore resulted to change in the program’s focus. Its
main concern became fighting for peoples’ needs and basic rights. Thus evolution therefore
brought about social-political action. The key drivers of the shift to organized actions were
discovery based and learner centered approach of solving problems in health education. In the
third phase therefore, the local residents were able to link their prevailing needs to malnutrition,
lack of enough food, lack of money, lack of enough fertile land for cultivation, corruption in
majority of public institutions, deficiency of participatory democracy and finally poor communal
organisation and actions by people. (Narayanasamy, 2009)
Upon definition of the common problems and their root causes, the group would initiate
participation of all its members to give proposals of the most viable solutions. At times, the fore
mentioned was achieved through story-telling and use of role plays. Alternatively, in order to
End of preview
Want to access all the pages? Upload your documents or become a member.
Related Documents