IEEE Women in Engineering Magazine - December 2013 - 20

By
LEsLIE PrIvEs

The Power of PRASAD

E
M. Cecilia Escarra

Digital Object Identifier 10.1109/MWIE.2013.2280375
Date of publication: 11 November 2013

IEEE womEn In EngInEErIng magazInE

Even before Dr. M. Cecilia Escarra became the executive director of the PRASAD Project, her values were closely aligned with its mission. PRASAD, a not-for-profit organization, is "committed to improving the quality of life of economically disadvantaged people around the world," according to its Web site. Escarra explains that the organization
chooses its projects by going to communities and asking the residents how PRASAD
can help them overcome their most pressing challenges.
Similarly, when she learned of the PRASAD Project, Escarra, who was a dentist in
Argentina at the time, sent an e-mail asking how she could help. Finding that she had
the qualifications PRASAD was looking for in an administrator for its Children's Dental
Health Program, which provides dental services to children via a mobile dental clinic,
she packed up her practice and moved to upstate New York.
Of course, it was not an easy decision. "I had to close down my whole life in Argentina," says Escarra, recalling that it took her six months to prepare for the transition. "I
was a full-time dentist and a competitive tennis player." Not knowing if she would like
her new job or how long she would stay, "I took a big risk, but it was the best decision I
made in my life. This is the job of my dreams, and every day I am grateful." That was
11 years ago.
As a dentist with a master's degree in health administration, Escarra was a
perfect fit to be the program administrator of the PRASAD Children's Dental
Health Program. Gradually, her role expanded to include the other licensees
of the organization: the PRASAD Chikitsa program operates health, education,
disaster relief and sustainable community development programs in India, and
PRASAD de Mexico organizes free eye surgery camps in Mexico. In 2012, Escarra
was appointed executive director of the PRASAD Project.
While the U.S. program is focused on dental care, and in Mexico, eye care is the main
priority, the scope in India is much broader. In addition to the medical and health services
provided, which include dental and eye care and HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment,
PRASAD Chikitsa has also been implementing community development programs, such
as women's self-help groups (SHGs) and farmers' clubs.
"PRASAD believes that 'educate a woman, and you educate her family'," explains
Escarra. Helping women in the Tansa Valley of India form SHGs is the organization's solution for empowering local women to create economic opportunities for
their community and improve their lives. SHGs have 10-20 female members each,
which Escarra says makes them "small enough to be self-managed and large enough
to make a difference."
When a group is formed, PRASAD provides the training and support the women need
to eventually run the group independently and generate income. Training encompasses
everything from how to sign one's own name and open a bank account to basic accounting principles and public speaking skills. Within the group, the women take on roles
such as treasurer and president but rotate so that each woman learns to fill each position. A key training exercise demonstrates that women are stronger in numbers through
a game where one woman holds a heavy stone and then feels physical relief when more

DeCeMBeR 2013

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of IEEE Women in Engineering Magazine - December 2013