Ecuador
HEALING TOUCH ECUADOR
2004 - present
Healing Touch Ecuador is a fledgling program that began in 2004 with five communities receiving introductory classes and one Level 1 class. Chasquinet, (chasquis were the Mayan runners), a telecenter foundation that brings internet and computer training to rural and marginalized communities sponsored this program. Karin Delgadillo, Executive Director, Marcelo Galarza, staff member, and Sue Kagel as instructor brought these classes to this region. They have continued to travel around the country, facilitating practice/support groups in those communities, have given intro classes in HT or have incorporated introducing Healing Touch through their trainings on personal development and transformation.
The Chasquinet staff, along with a team of leaders from each community, are developing teaching materials in Spanish using translation of written materials, and high-tech audio and visual aids. They are including a section on ancestral knowledge in each community's resources, as a bridge to the Healing Touch teachings.
Ancestral traditions vary widely in the individual communities. Self-sustainability is the core value of Chasquinet, and they are working with the youth in each community to create digital video and photos for reinforcing the teaching of the various techniques, linking it to the indigenous beliefs of each area. Photos and video taken during the classes are incorporated for a personal touch. Written materials are not easily utilized. Health care is less accessible and the ability of the communities to use Healing Touch on themselves and each other is an added benefit.
In Colinas del Norte, a barrio of Quito, the child care workers, many young teen women, attended Healing Touch classes. Karin Delgadillo has a vision to bring this throughout Ecuador and into the areas that link to Somos Telecentros, a group of telecenters in South and Central America and in the Caribbean. While we were teaching in August, 2004, Chaco, a community in the cloud forest posted an announcement of our classes to the entire network. Healing Touch information spread to all the above areas in the touch of a button!
They have reached over 2,000 people during this time and have continued to support the original students in bringing HT to child care centers, a rural hospital staff, community members working with their families, and more. Comments from the participants in Ecuador include “HT is the only time I receive a loving touch.” Benefits that they have noticed include a decrease in aggressive/violent behavior in the families who have a member learning Healing Touch, as well as stress relief, and physical symptom relief. Their dedication and efforts continue to spread healing light throughout Ecuador and their telecommunication links to Central, South America and the Caribbean continue to introduce the concept of Healing Touch throughout their large network.