The partnership between Community Engagement and Esperanza Community Housing Corporation (“Esperanza”) has proved to be a transformative force in empowering communities in South Los Angeles. Esperanza celebrated the graduation of its 27th class of "promotores de salud" (community health promoters) from their intensive Community Health Promoter Leadership Training Program on Saturday, June 17, 2023. Central to this program is the inclusion of Community Engagement's Research 101: The Fundamentals of Research training, which equips the promotores with the necessary skills to advocate for research and disseminate critical information to their communities. The collaboration between these organizations highlights the importance of community involvement in research and fostering trust.
Building Knowledge and Advocacy
Esperanza Community Housing, established in 1989, is a social justice non-profit in South Central Los Angeles that achieves long-term, comprehensive community development.
Esperanza's Community Health Promoter Leadership Training Program trains bi- and trilingual low-income residents of South Los Angeles to become community health leaders, patient advocates, health educators, and community organizers. The program spans five months and covers an array of essential topics, including affordable housing, environmental justice, health, policy advocacy and more.
Since 2019, Community Engagement has played a vital role in Esperanza’s promotor program by providing promotores with the Research 101: The Fundamentals of Research training. This comprehensive training has been seamlessly integrated into the curriculum, with the goal of tackling the underrepresentation of Black and Latino communities in research. By enhancing community knowledge, fostering an appreciation for research, and nurturing advocacy, the training aims to empower promotores and bridge the gap in research participation. Additionally, the training equips promotores with a solid foundation, opening up potential employment opportunities on research teams as outreach workers or in other roles that align with their skillset. More than 34 public agencies and nonprofit organizations in Los Angeles employ Esperanza-trained promotores.
Gabriela Gonzales, Director of Promotores Programs, underscores the significance of research training for the promotores. She emphasizes that being well-informed about the fundamentals of research enables them to provide accurate and updated information to the community. "Promotores disseminate a lot of the work that is happening in South L.A.,” said Gabriela. “They are out in the community and it's important for them to have relevant health information, and I think Community Engagement’s training definitely did that."
Community Leadership and Trust
Nancy Halpern Ibrahim, Executive Director of Esperanza Community Housing, acknowledges the profound impact of community leadership and the trust it builds. "We have been an organization that has a mission to build community family by family, individual by individual, and to work with absolute transparency and authenticity," she said. "We are here in the good times and the bad times, we don't shy away from difficulties or in the trenches when needed and even before things are needed."
This commitment to primary prevention and community education reflects their dedication to empowering individuals and organizing the community to tackle future challenges proactively.
Promotores' Perspectives
Promotores themselves express the transformative impact of Community Engagement's Research 101: The Fundamentals of Research training on their lives and their ability to contribute to research.
"I recognized the importance of overcoming our fears, barriers, and the myths that sometimes distance us from making this great contribution to research and seeing that it is beneficial for everyone in the future,” said Jimena Reyes, who traveled from Colombia for her graduation.
Levi Pacas, husband to Evelyn Pacas who graduated from the program in 2022, also shared his experience in the training: "The training left me with great expectations because it gave me the enrichment of knowing what I can do. That there are many topics I can investigate to participate, to contribute to other people, to involve myself, and help others within my family and neighbors.”
Juan Quintanilla also shared how the training intrigued him to learn more about research and become an advocate: “The information has been valuable to me because it will help me to further project the importance of research, to make people understand that it is necessary and essential for us to know about diseases, health conditions in all communities, and thus solve multiple problems or, in the best case, find solutions with new medications, assist more people, and go beyond what we have achieved so far.”
The partnership between Community Engagement and Esperanza Community Housing has proven to be a catalyst for positive change in South Los Angeles. By integrating Research 101: The Fundamentals of Research training into the Community Health Promoter Leadership Training Program, promotores are equipped with the necessary tools to advocate for research and disseminate vital information within their communities. This collaboration exemplifies the power of community engagement and the transformative impact it has on individuals and communities. Through their dedication and shared vision, Community Engagement and Esperanza Community Housing are building a stronger, more informed, and empowered community from within.