MEDLIFE Riobamba | Volunteer Abroad in Ecuador

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. If you’re looking to volunteer abroad in Ecuador, MEDLIFE Riobamba offers essential medicine, education, and development to underserved communities.

Why VOLUNTEER ABROAD IN RIOBAMBA, Ecuador?

Riobamba, a small city in the Andes mountains of Ecuador, is where it all started. This is the original MEDLIFE home, where Dr. Ellis was first 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 essential services. The city of Riobamba is surrounded by many smaller Indigenous villages where the realities of everyday life can include malnutrition, lack of healthcare, and no sanitation infrastructure. These challenges can be attributed to various factors, but as the agricultural goods upon which the economy relies continue to decline, 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 severely damaged 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.

Highlights of the trip

Explore various inspiring and impactful service learning trip options available year-round, including classic, nursing, dental, high school, physician assistants, engineering & architecture, and more!
Airport pick-up, orientation, accommodation, meals (mon-fri), and 24/7 in-country support.
Free medical insurance is included.
Comfortable dormitory-style rooms during your stay.
Enhance your adventure with exciting add-ons!

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.

Mobile Clinics

MEDLIFE tackles critical health issues in these communities through mobile clinics, preventative health education workshops, and patient follow-up. These are the stations in which you would participate during mobile clinics in Riobamba:

Triage
General Medicine
Dental
OB/GYN
Toothbrushing
Education
Pharmacy

Development Projects

Discover the development projects you could participate in while volunteering in Riobamba, Ecuador. These projects are collaboratively designed and developed with the community to address their needs, resulting in meaningful and sustainable impact and empowered communities.

Staircases
Parks
Roads
Retention walls
School Renovations
and more!

To learn more about our volunteer opportunities in Ecuador, download our brochure!

DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE SLT BROCHURE

MEDLIFE RIOBAMBA SAFETY

When you sign up for a Service Learning Trip in Riobamba, Ecuador, you are automatically registered for medical emergency insurance for the duration of your trip. Visit our travel safe page or email us at [email protected] to learn more.

Explore & Support: Enhance Your SLT Adventure

A trip to Peru would be incomplete without witnessing the majesty of Machu Picchu and experiencing the spectacular rolling sand dunes of Ica. Our optional add-ons let you dive deeper into your SLT destination, supporting MEDLIFE communities sustainably along the way.

Click here to view extension options

Riobamba, Ecuador