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Latest from Alyssa Rodriguez

9/27/2013

 
Picture
 Healthy Relationships 101: Sex education 

ELKHART, Ind. (Mennonite Mission Network) — After school, 14-year-old Doris Diaz tosses her books aside with one thing on her mind: her daughter.

Doris lives with her parents, and visits her boyfriend occasionally — but she is in the “vast minority of those whose boyfriends are still in the picture,” says Alyssa Rodriguez, who serves with Mennonite Mission Network in Ecuador.

Doris’s story isn’t unusual. Ecuador joins Venezuela and Colombia in having the largest population of teen mothers in Latin America. According to a study by Ecuador’s public health ministry, 17 percent of girls ages 15-19 have at least one child.

But in the Jardines del Inca (Gardens of the Inca) neighborhood, “teen” mothers are as young as 10.  

In an ecumenical effort to establish healthy relationships between Ecuadorian youth, Quito Mennonite Church started a center called Vida Juvenil (Youth Life). Rodriguez lives in the neighborhood and is one of the leaders at the center. She began her assignment with Mennonite Mission Network and Central Plains Mennonite Conference in March 2013.

In its early stages, Vida Juvenil is still developing relationships in the community. Program personnel try to emphasize their love and concern for all people, regardless of church affiliation. Rodriguez said that some people in the community worry that the center will impose its theological perspectives on people who are Catholic. “We’re just trying to help people,” Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez said that often pregnancies result from sexual violence. At Vida Juvenil, Rodriguez addresses this by leading workshops about healthy relationships and how to deal with conflict. The first workshops addressed basic terminology and myths related to sexuality, to equip people with the vocabulary to talk about the topic.

“Sex is taboo,” said Rodriguez. One woman that participates in Vida Juvenil didn’t receive sex education until college. Others received the education, but didn’t pay attention. Currently, the Ecuadorian government suggests teaching sex education at age 10.

Vida Juvenil’s workshops are for teens, but also adults.

Cesar Moya, the pastor at Quito Mennonite Church, explained the importance of working with parents. “It’s like people drowning at one end of the river and your solution being to pull them out afterward. We’ve got to start from the beginning to prevent [these] problems from occurring in the first place.”

Since teen mothers have extra responsibilities and little extra time for homework, Vida Juvenil seeks to help girls finish their studies before becoming mothers. According to Rodriguez, some teen mothers work during the day to support their children, and attend school at night. So grandmothers often raise the children.

Above all, Rodriguez wants to provide youth with a haven. “A place to feel safe, and turn to if they have questions about the topic, about relationships, if they’re feeling abused,” said Rodriguez.




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  • Home
    • About Us
    • Central Plains Structure
    • Staff >
      • Executive Conference Minister
      • Ministerial Leadership
      • Formation Minister
      • Hispanic Ministries
    • Map of Conference
    • Congregations >
      • Illinois
      • Iowa
      • Minnesota
      • Montana
      • Nebraska
      • South Dakota
      • Wisconsin
    • Board
    • Committees >
      • Christian Formation
      • Outreach and Service >
        • Church Planting
        • Peace and Justice Task Group
        • Practicing Offering and Receiving Hospitality
      • Pastoral Leadership
    • Partners in Mission >
      • Agape Peace Center
      • Philip Friesen
    • Camps & Schools
    • Who are the Mennonites?
  • CPMC at Work
    • MC USA Delegate Resources
    • Publications >
      • Scattered Seeds
      • The Sower
    • Events >
      • Annual Meeting 2022
      • Annual Leaders Retreat 2022
    • CPMC Covenant
    • New Ministries Fund >
      • Reports of Past Grant Recipients
    • Counsel on variance
  • Congregational Leaders
    • Pastors
    • Elders & Deacons
    • Church Council
    • Support for Conflict >
      • Facilitation Services and Donations
    • Pastor Openings
  • Mission Leaders
    • Racism webinar videos
    • Ecuador/Venezuela Partnership >
      • Latest News from Ecuador/Venezuela
      • Story of the Ecuador Partnership >
        • Timeline & Resources
      • Personnel and Partnership Members >
        • Ross Richers
        • Wigginton Bravo
      • Quito Property Fund
    • Church Planting >
      • Developing Congregations
    • Travel Like Dave
    • Missional Discipleship Initiative
    • Islam and the Gospel
  • Formation Leaders
    • Formation in Worship
    • Formation Resource Library
    • Children and Families >
      • Faith at Home
      • Curriculum for Children
      • Shine
      • Resources for Parents
      • Protecting Children
    • Youth >
      • Youth Mission Together
      • Youth Sponsors
      • Youth Curriculum
      • Youth SS Teachers
      • Mentor Coordinator
      • CO Resources
      • Helpful sites for YM
    • Adults >
      • Adult Faith at Home
      • Adult Curriculum
      • Teaching resources
      • Adult Spirituality
    • Shalom Readers
    • Curriculum Evaluation Tool
  • Resources
    • Anti Racism Resources
    • Bible study Webinars >
      • Bible Study Webinars 2016
      • Bible Study Webinars 2017
    • Conference Documents
    • Christian Discernment
    • En Espanol
    • Immigration
    • Mennonite Links
    • Spiritual Deliverance
    • Archives
  • Contact Us
    • Contact form
    • Church contact info form
    • Donate
    • COVID Relief
    • Discerning Future Leaders
    • Sunday Speaking Information Sheet