Early mornings, long boat rides, and hot and humid days – this is the typical scenario when traveling to Agutaya, one of the hardest-to-reach group of islands in Palawan, Philippines. Though the villages are separated by sea, people are never strangers. All happily greet each other as they gather at the local health center to avail of their contraceptive of choice during an outreach mission led by Roots of Health
COVID-19 created so many challenges to the work we do. But because the pandemic put more women and young people’s lives at risk, we knew we needed to make sure we could keep providing life-saving essential services, education, and stakeholder trainings. Thanks to our supporters, we managed to continue providing all this in 2020, and more. Here’s a quick recap of what we couldn’t have done without our passionate supporters
05
Nov 2020
Pinay Power Online Bazaar
As we approach the holiday season, you can help change women’s lives and take a piece of the Philippines with you, wherever you are, through “#PinayPower: A Pre-Holiday Online Bazaar.” Shop from any of our partner brands from November 6-12, and 20% of every purchase you make will directly support reproductive health programs, including free birth control, HIV testing, prenatal checkups and comprehensive sexuality education. Here are five fabulous ways
13
Oct 2020
Reproductive Health in Disasters
A disaster can make people forget about existing problems, but it doesn’t make them disappear. In fact, a disaster is more likely to worsen existing inequalities and vulnerabilities. In celebration of International Day for Disaster Reduction, Roots of Health takes a stand for reproductive health services. Birth control, prenatal care, and HIV testing and treatment remain essential as we build disaster-resilient communities, and especially more so in immediate disaster response.
The only midwife in town could’ve been in high school with their mom. The pharmacist goes to the same church. Someone could be eavesdropping at the hospital and hear them asking about an HIV test. In places like Palawan, Philippines, where almost everyone knows everyone, young people often fear getting a pregnancy test, an HIV test, or contraceptives. To them, accessing services could mean other people finding out that they
Advocates, health care workers, educators, parents, and civil service organizations can learn a thing or two from how a small organization in Palawan changed thousands of women and young people’s lives. As a professor at Palawan State University, Susan Evangelista witnessed how her students dropped out of school after getting pregnant, usually unplanned. She saw, through her students, that unplanned pregnancies usually derailed young women from what would’ve been a
Women and girls in Palawan are once again welcome to visit our clinic for free reproductive health services. Quarantine restrictions have eased up, and essential health facilities are now allowed to reopen. But we’re not letting our guards down. From the moment each of our clients show up at our door until they leave, we apply best practices to prevent COVID-19 from spreading. Each client needs to schedule an appointment
Joy* wanted to meet up in a hidden alley, a few blocks away from her home. Strangers passing by might wonder what sneaky business she’s up to, as a needle pokes into her arm and she breathes a sigh of relief. But she isn’t doing anything illegal—she’s just getting a birth control shot. Like Joy, many Filipina women and girls have to hide the fact that they use contraceptives. Their
Because of strict COVID-19 lockdown rules, women can’t even visit a health facility or pharmacy two blocks away to get birth control. Meanwhile, contraceptive supplies are dwindling in health facilities due to supply chain disruptions. This could lead to a surge in unplanned pregnancies. An unplanned pregnancy disrupts a woman’s life in so many ways—even more so during a pandemic of this magnitude. With little to no opportunities to work,
05
Oct 2010
Bright Lights, Big City
Ugat ng Kalusugan Program Associate Manager, Lyn-Lyn recently attended the Women Deliver Conference, the MDG awards ceremony and still found time to meet with some influential people. All on her first trip to Manila.
