My Nonprofit Reviews

The lack of use of contraceptive methods remains a pervasive issue in Guatemala. Even though the 98% of the population declares to know at least one contraceptive method, data shows that the 26% of births attended in the country are from girls between the age of 10 and 19. Promoting contraceptive methods and encouraging a behaviour change towards the better use of contraception has proven to be a very challenging issue in Guatemala, especially in rural areas. The myths and misunderstandings surrounding family planning and the coercion of religious and traditional beliefs lead to a strong rejection for birth control.

WINGS is an amazing NGO that works all over the country providing contraception and sex education. WINGS has three main projects: (1) a promoters' network; (2) mobile clinics; and (3) a youth training programme.

WINGS has over 50 promoters all over the country. These promoters are people –mostly women- that provide short-term contraception in their communities. WINGS provides them with all the necessary materials (pills, injections, sterilisers) and they train the promoters around sexuality and reproductive health issues. This gives inhabitants from isolated villages the opportunity to access birth control.

Regarding the mobile clinics, WINGS has a permanent clinic in La Antigua and two vans that carry all the materials needed to provide cervical cancer screenings, place long-term contraception and do sterilisation surgeries. Each van travels at least three times a week to rural areas, where they do free sessions to offer the mentioned services. Approximately 20 people are attended in each session.

Finally, there is a Youth Volunteer Training Programme, where they train people between the age of 14 an 19 about sexuality issues, including diversity, contraception, STDs and gender equality. The aim of this programme is to select young rural people that will later transfer their knowledge to their friends and classmates in their communities.