Heidi González, the wayuu nurse

In the middle of the aridity of the middle Guajira, three hours from Uribia, appears the village of Tres Bocas, the homeland of Heidi, a 26 year old Wayuu. In addition to her traditional colorful blanket, she always wears a big smile and an unwavering spirit to develop her work as a nurse, health and welfare manager for the more than 600 families in her community, and for which Sinergias ONG has trained her.

Although she learned Spanish from the age of 8, at the San José de Uribia boarding school where she attended basic education, her love for her roots and ancestral values were never lost; on the contrary, they grew as she saw the worrisome public health situation.

"I started being the translator for my family and the community of Tres Bocas in front of the institutions and organizations that arrived. When I saw that we had no hospital centers nearby, I became interested in learning first aid and that's how my taste for this subject was born. Then I got involved with Sinergias, an NGO that has trained me in the promotion of good health practices and I have been able to teach them in my community," says Heidi.

Although she currently lives in Riohacha, where she is studying psychology, with her daughter Eimily, Heidi visits her ranchería every weekend. As much as possible, she brings market, water and raw materials for the elaboration of handicraft products of her ancestral culture.

"What is my dream? It is to have a mill to draw water. With just one we would benefit not only Tres Bocas but 20 neighboring communities that, like us, need the liquid. That way we could grow crops and have our own food. However, we know that we can't wait for them to give us everything. That is why we always try to get yarn and materials and weave the backpacks, hammocks and blankets that we sell to be able to get ahead.

Courageous, hard-working and committed to her ethnic group, her community and her ancestors, Heidi continues her work, not only in health but also in the rescue of her traditions and ancestral values, even in the midst of the desolate panorama of her region, without losing the joy that characterizes her countrymen.

Thanks to the work of Sinergias ONG in training hundreds of women in health care and promotion, they have acquired a decisive role in the transformation of their communities.