Episode 22:Dr. Anne Marie Chomat: Empowering Marginalized Communities through Women's Circles
Guatemala has faced hundreds of years of colonization and oppression…
Keeping the women feeling distant, unworthy, and traumatized.
Upon arriving in Guatemala, the Maya people were wary of Dr. Marie and her intentions but her constant presence eventually earned the community’s trust. Before Buena Semilla was fully realized, she started out by listening to women’s stories alongside village leaders. The women’s circles were formed overtime, where women could share about their experiences in a safe space.
At Buena Semilla, women could talk about themselves indirectly through photography, theater, or other creative mediums. The Mayan women were so divided that they had to learn how to build healthy relationships with one another. By hearing each other’s struggles, they could collectively heal and challenge one another. Although the work at Buena Semilla is far from complete, Marie is proud to witness the transformation of the indigenous women. They could now dare to dream of something better for themselves.
As part of the Global North, how can we fulfill our responsibilities to help our brothers and sisters in other countries? We can follow Dr. Marie’s example by listening first. The solutions that we have are not always applicable to every situation so it’s important that we understand the full context. Tread softly and be open to embrace a new way of thinking.
Anne Marie Chomat (MD, PhD, MPH) is a practitioner and thought-leader in decolonizing, wholistic approaches to health & wellbeing. She holds a PhD in stress-research focused on the intergenerational impact of stressors on women and their children in marginalized contexts. As a mentor, teacher, physician and community engagement practitioner, she has over 20 years’ experience working alongside some of the most marginalized populations across five continents. She co-founded Buena Semilla together with indigenous Maya women of Guatemala with whom she has been working over the last 13 years - a grassroots organization widely recognized for its innovations within the fields of women’s empowerment, participatory community mental health, and collective healing as a vehicle for transformative change.
What we discuss…
02:15 - Marie’s calling to work in the Global South
04:55 - The Eagle and the Condor Prophecy
08:00 - Buena Semilla women’s circles
16:10 - How Marie built trust with the indegenous community
23:00 - The responsibility to listen
28:00 - Women’s circles as safe spaces to heal
32:34 - Vision for Casa Alegria
40:00 - How to support Buena Semilla
43:46 - What's the message of the Divine Mother to us?
Website:
To donate:
https://hipgive.org/en/campaign/gomujeres2022/casa_alegria
Free 6 day gathering:
https://buena-semilla.org/iofferyoumyheart
Join the Circle Initiation Program: