Isabel Ubau, Facilitator

Isabel Ubau (left) demonstrates a technique for capturing larvas and pupas to a brigadista from her community.

Nowadays, the project has been yet another door for my own personal development, since I like to become involved with people from all social strata, regardless of race, creed, etc. And as a facilitator I have grown in terms of thinking, know-how, understanding, and above all reaching the hearts of each and every brigadista in these neighbourhoods.

To me, SEPA also means being more humanitarian and understanding and, above all, seeing how vulnerable are the conditions in which many community members live. With the visits that we brigadistas make to each of these households we feel that we are leaving a seed planted in each home, and we will see its fruits when we visit them again and feel that they have grasped our message.

In one of our neighbourhoods, the community leadership was 100% involved in our first meetings; they were very honest and were willing to work for the community. This was proven by our being joined by four community leaders, who are currently SEPA brigadistas. It is also worth mentioning the participation of children and teenagers, who are fascinated by the work, and who love carrying out household visits and being complimented by the people who receive them in their homes.

With all due sincerity, in another neighbourhood the community leadership has not fully supported us, which is why SEPA work there has developed more slowly; but this has not taken away my desire to share my knowledge about what the work means for us.

In general, I feel that the SEPA brigadistas from the neighbourhoods where I act as a facilitator have been greatly empowered to spread our message, such as being able to stay healthy without needing to wait for the chemicals to reach the households, since they know all about the mosquito’s life cycle and the strategies that need to be put into practice to keep it from spreading.