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MEDLIFE Completes 100 Projects!

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Last week, MEDLIFE inaugurated our 100th community development project: a sanitary restroom for a preschool in San Sebastian de Wayrayaku, Muyuna, Tena, Ecuador. The school is a Centro Infantil de Buen Vivir (CIBV), part of a national program aiming to improve conditions in the country by caring for children under the age of 5 living in extreme poverty. At centers like this one, located mostly in poor rural regions, children are provided with meals, recreation and full-day care from teachers trained in child development.

In communities where many parents are working during the day or have emigrated to cities in search of better opportunities, many families are unable to afford the nutrition and sanitation young children need, and these new centers provide a vital service.  Unfortunately, many don’t yet have the necessary resources and infrastructure.

Together with local authorities, MEDLIFE selected the center in San Sebastian de Wayrayaku, which means “wind of the water,” as the site for our 100th project. The existing toilet was not enough for 42 children ages 1-5 and the four teachers in the center. MEDLIFE volunteers and community members constructed a new bathroom with two toilets, a urinal, sink and shower so that the children could wash if they need to. The parents worked through the night to get the project done so as not to miss work during the day.

On Friday, the completed bathroom was inaugurated with representatives of the provincial government, parents, teachers and MEDLIFE volunteers. The children and teachers sang and danced to traditional music from the region, and shared their customs with the student volunteers.

“It feels great to have completed project 100. It shows us that we can really help, we can make dreams come true, we can make hundreds of people happier and that we have to continue fighting for them,” said MEDLIFE Director of Ecuador Martha Chicaiza. “Every project, no matter how small, matters because it helps someone who really needs it.”

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Reya Seby
Western University

This trip motivated me more to pursue a career in the healthcare field so that I can use my resources to help those who need it the most, similar to MEDLIFE’s mission.

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Victoria DiCanio
University of Connecticut

It was most enjoyable to finish the hard work and see how big a difference a group of individuals can make. It was such an amazing experience.

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Anita Woo
University of Toronto

I enjoyed the mobile clinics the most, especially the dental and triage portions. I would definitely recommend a MEDLIFE trip, it was a great experience.

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David Saff
Maclay High School

The most enjoyable part of my trip was hanging out with the amazing group of kids I was with. I would highly recommend a MEDLIFE volunteer trip to others.

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Sydney Sansone
Nova Southeastern University

This trip made everything that I was learning in my public health courses come to life and immersed me in a new culture while also learning about medicine.

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Abygail Youmans
College of Charleston

Being involved with MEDLIFE is not like joining another club - its bigger than that. It is about joining a movement that seeks to help change people’s quality of life for forever.

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Emi Hofmann
University of Central Florida

Not only was I able to participate in a week long Mobile Clinic, shadowing doctors of all types of specialties including pharmacy, dentistry, gynecology, and more, but I was also able to learn about the culture and visit incredible places.

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Julian Takagi-Stewart
University of Toronto

One thing that I really loved about this trip was that MEDLIFE made sure that the volunteers got an understanding of the complexity of issues that lead to underprivileged people in communities outside of the main city

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Hannah Van Hofwegen
University of Ottawa

Whether it was basketball with the local kids, assisting the doctors, talking with families, building washrooms, holding babies, or spending time with the people who were on the SLT with me, this was an amazing opportunity that I would do over and over again.

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Isabelle Holt
Cornell University

I loved learning about the patients MEDLIFE has followed and how they offer real help to people with chronic/urgent conditions. It is amazing how the organization formed real connections with the communities.

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Valerie Lindeborg
Parent

Our family had the privilege of participating in multiple trips with Nick [founder] and his amazing staff. Their expertise made the trips unforgettable while instilling in my boys the fundamentals of good character: selflessness, compassion, and empathy.

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Harry Vildibill
University of Georgia

As an aspiring physician, MEDLIFE motivated me to further continue my goal of becoming a doctor. In fact, I enjoyed the Tanzania Service Learning Trip so much that I decided to go on another trip to Cusco, Peru.