Neumine Marshall – Empower Centrum

As part of our Learning Journey, we had the privilege of visiting Empower Centrum at Gravenstein, a public housing system located in an area with a diverse population. We received a warm welcome by Neumine and Camiel, who told us the origin story of Empower Centrum as we experienced it on our visit. It is a story of fighting for representation, of building and supporting a community, of a continuous struggle to remove barriers, and of a commitment to developing quality healthcare for the vulnerable.

Camiel Wellington – Sexologist (L) with Dr. Nikkiah Forbes (R)

We learned about Nu Niet Zwanger (Mirjam van Wees), which helps vulnerable adults make informed choices about family planning and contraception, reducing unintended pregnancies. We also explored Sense (Francine van den Heuvel), a digital platform answering sexual health questions for young persons up to age 25, providing a safe space for learning about sex in an environment they are familiar with.

We also received valuable insight from an impressive panel of members of the Trans community, including our very own Erika Castellanos (GATE) from Belize. They discussed bridging gaps between health professionals and vulnerable groups (Camiel Wellington), building chosen families (House of Bodega), addressing migrant Trans health gaps, and the importance of representation in healthcare as both providers and in decision making.

Erika Castellanos – GATE

A patient-centered approach was the common theme. While Amsterdam has many resources that Belize does not yet have available, the resounding message is that programs built with a patient-centered focus are more likely to create change and achieve success. This gives me optimism that in Belize we can improve healthcare for vulnerable communities with the infrastructure that already exists.

Khareem and Michael from House of Bodega

Medical Students