“I have a long history with Profamilia, my mother was a volunteer during the days of the original founder, Dr Tamayo, and I was a youth volunteer until my early 20s”.
“I think my work with Profamilia generated a life long love of and commitment to working with the community, which helped other areas of my life, like when I was appointed Mayor of my local town”.
Angela helped to take films and other information, education and communication (IEC) projects into the local community. This proved invaluable in terms of extending the reach of Profamilia.
Angela was elected to the Governing Council in the late 1980s. She spent four years as IPPF President.
During her time as President Angela tried to bridge the divide between staff and volunteers, encouraging them to work together more closely.
“A volunteer has to want to give time and never loose the belief that they will make a difference no matter how tough it gets”.
“In terms of working in Colombia, although Profamilia have done amazing work in mainstreaming family planning, however, there is still a lot of work to be done and new challenges keep appearing. Our work is still not done.”
Asociación Pro-Bienestar de la Familia Colombiana (PROFAMILIA) with 42 clinics in 32 cities and a national marketing programme with almost 6000 distribution points, provides 70% of family planning in Colombia.
The Association is expanding into new areas, such as legal services, which are now being offered in six of the country's main cities, and youth centers which are already established in 14 cities.
Other health and counselling services provided by PROFAMILIA have increased considerably. In recognition of its achievements, PROFAMILIA received the 1988 United Nations Population Award.
PROFAMILIA currently represents a health care alternative for Colombians. Through our proactive service diversification programme, PROFAMILIA hopes to restore a large proportion of the international funding which is diminishing as Colombia is no longer seen as a priority country internationally for family planning aid.
PROFAMILIA received funding from UNFPA which allowed us to continue to deliver our rural programme in 67 of the more impoverished municipalities of the Magdalena River Basin, covering 11 of the country's 26 provinces.
PROFAMILIA's educational activities are focused on family health, including the recognition and treatment of dehydration and intestinal parasites.
The Mobile Health Brigades Project, visiting the slum areas around Bogotá, is focused on two areas: family planning and information and education activities. The migration of many people from rural areas into the slum areas creates many unmet needs, and puts increasing pressure on the already overstretched services. There are higher levels of illiteracy, fertility and infant mortality in the slum areas.
PROFAMILIA aims to have strategic contact with the leaders of the community and organized groups within it as a basis for community motivation. The information and education facet of the Health Brigade project consists of a series of talks, plus the production and distribution of pamphlets. Each Health Brigade includes a gynaecologist and a nurse, and services are provided at community centres or at peoples homes.
Services provided are wider than family planning alone, the Health Brigades promote massive anti-parasite campaigns, acute respiratory infections and acute diarrheal disease.