Grass·roots (noun): the origin or basis of something; the basic or primary concept
Synonyms: central, essential, integral
Some say that September is the other January - the school year begins again, the leaves change, the weather cools, and we seem to get a new start. We can go back to basics, back to the primary concept. As we step into September, we can start to remember those building blocks that have gotten us here - we can go back to grassroots.
When FIMRC started, we decided that we would focus on the origin of health - primary care and health-educated communities. Fifteen years later, we continue to focus almost exclusively on primary care and health education because we know this is the grassroots movement that will make the difference in people’s lives. Primary care is not always pretty or glamorous or high-stakes or urgent. It is the slow and steady progress each day towards healthier communities. It is the foundation for which all other development occurs.
FIMRC provides access for thousands to quality primary care by operating at a grassroots level. Each of our sites has a full and independent staff that combines expertise with community input to derive the best goals and strategy for better health outcomes. At each turn, we make sure that we are listening and partnering with the communities we serve to ensure participation as well as higher health education levels.
In Ecuador, we started a basketball team with community youth to teach the importance of exercise while having fun. In Nicaragua we go house-to-house to ensure young mothers understand the importance of breastfeeding. In La Merced we teach yoga at an overcrowded prison. In Uganda we trek miles every day to teach rural populations about primary care.
Every site, every community is so different that any approach to healthier outcomes but grassroots would be ill-fitting and doomed to fall unused and ineffectual. By building a foundation of primary care and health education, we can see healthier and more successful outcomes.
Do you want to get involved in our grassroots movement? Check out our volunteer programs at www.fimrc.org/volunteer.