This report was submitted at the end of the workshop in January 2003 (in English). It includes the steps taken during the course of the workshop, preliminary results from the focus group discussions and Positive Deviance Inquiry, as well as constraints faced, lessons learned and recommendations: Persona Ak'q'ii: Family Planning Positive Deviance Consultancy Report.
Dr. Elizabeth Bocalettie
Save the Children USA, Guatemala
Latin America Regional Office
Antigua, Guatemala
Email: bocalettie@intelnet.net.gt
In January 2003, Save the Children (US)-Guatemala held a training workshop on applying the Positive Deviance Approach to increase use of family planning services. The workshop was held in Nebaj, one of three Mayan communities where Save the Children is developing programs to address issues of reproductive health. In these communities, there is low utilization of family planning methods and services despite high perceived need among the community members. All family planning methods and services are offered free-of-charge through district health centers. Focus groups discussions revealed that many women were embarrassed to utilize the services due to actual or perceived stigma from friends and relatives. However, there were women who identified themselves as users of some sort of family planning. Some of the special behaviors or practices that these women found to overcome this involved their supportive husband or partner. One woman reported that her husband accompanied her each time she went to the health center - a simple strategy that other women could use to overcome one of the barriers to family planning.
The training workshop was the means to begin the design of an intervention in the community. More focus group discussions and interviews are being held in the other communities where Save the Children would be working and a program planning meeting will be held at the end of February. The workshop report gives some background on the area as well as preliminary findings: Persona Ak'q'ii: Family Planning Positive Deviance Consultancy Report.
During the workshop, the team developed tools that would be used during focus group discussion and the Positive Deviance Inquiry: