Riobamba, Ecuador
Population: 144,795
Land Area: 990 km²
Languages: Spanish & Quechua Dialects
Currency: Peruvian Sol
About Riobamba
Riobamba, a small city in the Andes mountains of Ecuador, is where it all started. This is the original MEDLIFE home, where Dr. Ellis first was inspired to start the Movement. The area is gorgeous and known as the trekking and climbing capital of the country thanks to the surrounding mountains and volcanoes that make up Chimborazo Province.
Why You Should Come
Riobamba, a small city in the Andes mountains of Ecuador, is where it all started. This is the original MEDLIFE home, where Dr. Ellis first was inspired to start the Movement. Though the area is rich in natural beauty, it is one of the poorest provinces in Ecuador and it lacks many basic services. The city of Riobamba is surrounded by many smaller Indigenous villages where realities of everyday life can include malnutrition, lack of healthcare, and no sanitation infrastructure. These challenges can be attributed to a variety of factors, but as the agricultural goods upon which the economy relies continue to decline in value, residents fall deeper into poverty. The arrival of COVID-19 further exacerbated their difficult financial situation, leaving many families with no way to keep food on the table. To make matters worse, recent volcanic eruptions resulted in severe damage to the crops that communities depended on.
Join us on a Service Learning Trip to Riobamba to help families bounce back from the pandemic and learn about global health in the context of Indigenous families in rural Ecuador. You will work hand in hand with the community to improve their living conditions by bringing a Mobile Clinic and Development Project to families in need. Register today!
How You Can Help
MEDLIFE has had strong ties with the communities of Riobamba since our founding in 2004, and the area has become a primary destination for our Service Learning Trips and community development efforts.
That being said, MEDLIFE addresses some of the most pressing issues in these communities through Mobile Clinics, patient follow-up, and community development projects. But our work would not be possible without motivated individuals like you choosing to volunteer in Service Learning Trips (SLT).
Additional Travel opportunities
A trip to Ecuador would be incomplete without witnessing the majestic Galapagos Islands or hiking in the amazing Cotopaxi National Park. With optional tourism extensions offered by our partner travel company, Good Life Expeditions, you can explore more of your SLT destination while continuing to support MEDLIFE partner communities and traveling sustainably.
