April 2009 - Central UMC of Asheville Returns to the Kory Wawanaca Children's Home

Central United Methodist Church of Asheville completed their annual mission trip to the Kory Wawanaca Children's Home in April. Eighteen children between the ages of 3 and 13 now live in the orphanage, making the volunteer experience absolutely unforgettable. Volunteers helped with projects around the farm and painted a beautiful mural on one of the building walls, with the help of several tiny, enthusiastic hands. The highlight of the week, for many, was the day of "Olympic" games which the group organized for the children, complete with a sack race, water balloon toss, and an official awards ceremony. It was a wonderful day of fun for all

The Kory Wawanaca Children's Home is now almost at full capacity. Their next project will be the construction of a second residency in La Paz where children will move after 7th or 8th grade in order to attend high school and college in the city.

Visit Kory Wawanaca's updated website, www.kwchildren.org, for more information on the children and the Home.

January 2009 - Elon University Service-Learning Course in Guatemala

19 students and two professors from Elon University traveled to Calhuitz in January as part of a for-credit course which combined academics, service-learning, and personal growth. The group laid the foundation for a women's training and community center next to the Calhuitz Maternity Center and became a part of the community in more ways than ever before. In addition to participating in home visits with the local health team, they also hiked to a Mayan prayer site on a nearby mountain summit; visited traditional bone healers; spent time doing day-to-day activities with neighborhood families; and talked with local men about their experiences during the civil war.

The professors from Elon told Curamericas facilitators that the course far exceeded their expectations, and plans are already underway for a January 2010 program.

Students have posted their final projects (narrated photo slideshows) on www.youtube.com. Search "Elon Guatemala January 2009", or see the links in our Volunteer News section of this page for examples.

November/December 2008 - Volunteers Celebrate Thanksgiving in Liberia Helping to Kick Off Our New Child Survival Project

Our first volunteer team to travel to Liberia arrived in November of 2008 and spent two weeks working with our new partner, Ganta United Methodist Hospital, and participating in the launch of our Nehnwaa Child Survival Project.

The group consisted of: two doctors and two nurses, one construction volunteer, and a retired Methodist minister. Volunteers accompanied the Nehnwaa team on visits to remote villages where team members are making initial contact with local leaders and families to explain our Child Survival Project, which aims to reduce child and maternal deaths by focusing on certain factors such as malaria, water/sanitation, childhood illnesses, and prenatal care.

Nurse Mandy Wall said of her experience, "I was very impressed with Ganta Hospital. I encountered many hard-working and truly amazing people. In addition to your well-run hospital, the community outreach being done through the child survival program is outstanding. It was a wonderful experience for me and I learned so much. Thank you for this."

After the trip, we received this note of thanks from Liberian Allen Zomonway, the director of the Nehnwaa Child Survival Program: "Thanks for the effort made by bringing the work team. We highly appreciate their time here and it was a fantastic working experience together. We shared a lot of new ideas. We hope that this will continue throughout the life of the project and even beyond."

Pine Forest UMC July 2008 Youth Mission Trip to Bolivia (July 16th-26th, 2008)

Pine Forest United Methodist Church of Goldsboro, NC successfully completed its first ever international mission trip this July with an expedition to the Kory Wawanaca Children's Home in Tacachia, Bolivia. Touting an automated chicken-plucker for the orphanage farm and bagfuls of donated children's clothing and games, the 16-person team was a huge help to the orphanage, which is in the process of welcoming its first children. The volunteers made adobe bricks for the building of a second chicken coop on the farm, tilled land, sewed curtains, and even painted a beautiful mural on the home's wall. After all of that hard work, they returned to the capital city of La Paz for sight-seeing, shopping in the artisan markets, and a folk-dancing dinner show. The group even enjoyed a boat tour of Lake Titicaca during which they explored an ancient indigenous burial ground. Curamericas Global was honored to coordinate this exciting, memorable, and productive inaugural trip.

"There are no real words to describe this experience in Bolivia. I will always carry with me the smiles and hugs of the children. I will remember the days in Bolivia with fond memories."
- Patty Pfeiffer, Volunteer from Pine Forest United Methodist Church

"I never expected to be so attached to the people I encountered (in Tacachia). The children at the orphanage were amazing! I will never forget my times at breakfast trying to communicate with them. Or just sharing a nice long hug and a smile. That is the best gift the children could ever receive. They just wanted to feel loved... Words aren't enough to express how that feels."
- Jessica Turner, Volunteer from Pine Forest United Methodist Church

FUMC-Cary July 2008 Youth Mission Trip to Guatemala (July 2nd-12th, 2008)

When First United Methodist Church of Cary, NC teamed up with Curamericas Global for a second annual youth mission trip, they planned to volunteer at the Kory Wawanaca Children's Home in Bolivia. Their team of 11 youths and 5 adult leaders arrived at the airport, however, to find that their flights to Bolivia had been cancelled due to weather. In the spirit of true adventurers and selfless humanitarians, the team asked if they might be able to help with another project. The next day, they arrived in Guatemala where they spent a life-changing week volunteering with our local partners, Curamericas-Guatemala. The team helped with construction projects at the Calhuitz Maternity Center, accompanied health workers on community visits and newborn/postpartum checkups, and made lasting friendships within local community-members. The youth volunteers even had the chance to hold brand-new babies, the recipients of their donated baby clothing and toys. It was a wonderful experience for everyone involved!

"I loved working in Calhuitz and getting to know everyone there... Even though we were there for just four days, I feel as if I had known everyone there for much longer; there was such an awesome sense of community."
- Laura von Gunten, Youth Volunteer from First United Methodist Church of Cary

"This trip to Guatemala was more than I ever thought it could be. I felt like I truly got to know the people from Calhuitz personally, even in such a short time. I will always cherish my Guatemalan experience, and I look forward to traveling with Curamericas in the future!"
- Becca Barrier, Youth Volunteer from First United Methodist Church of Cary

March 2008 - Our First Health Education Expedition to Guatemala Enlightens Both Local Workers & Volunteers

During our first health education-focused trip to Guatemala, volunteers helped to facilitate educational workshops for local birth attendants and community health workers, who were eager to learn from the team's doctors and students. In turn, the volunteers were able to learn about health issues and initiatives in the rural, Mayan communities where we work. "I have learned so much from this experience," one volunteer said. "I have seen obvious evidence of the positive impact that Curamericas Global and (the volunteer program) have had on the many people (they) work with in Guatemala." Our local partners are calling enthusiastically for more of these types of teams. (See below for information on our March 2009 Medical/Health Expedition to Guatemala.)

February 2008 - Work Team Helps to Establish the Kory Wawanaca Children's Home in Bolivia

"The smiles on the faces of the children (of Tacachia) will be with me always," said volunteer Lisa Klepper of watching the neighborhood kids play on the new playground equipment at the Kory Wawanaca Children's Home in Tacachia, Bolivia. Klepper was part of a dedicated team of volunteers from Central United Methodist Church, Matthews United Methodist Church, and other North Carolinian churches, who spent two weeks in Bolivia in February. The team purchased and installed playground equipment, built latrines, made road improvements, worked on the home's chicken farm, and even provided veterinary services for local animals. It was a busy and joyful trip! Plans are already underway for a repeat trip to this beautiful orphanage next year.

January 2008 - Dr. Reifenberg Repeats His Annual Medical Trip to Montero, Bolivia

Dr. Rick Reifenberg and his medical colleagues returned to Montero in January to work in the clinics of our health partner, CSRA (Consejo de Salud Rural Andino). The team's medical services, donated supplies, and long-term support of our program are deeply appreciated!

January 2008 - First Annual January Term Service-Learning Trip Completed

Thanks to our pioneer January Term work team, the Calhuitz Maternity Center in Guatemala is now complete. The team finished painting the center's second building and contributed funding for windows, roof insulation, cement, and more. This important facility offers local mothers a safe place to give birth or obtain prenatal care and also provides housing for health staff and volunteers.

"This is been an eye-opening yet amazing twelve days," said team-member and Salem College student Lauren Cole, who received internship credits for the trip. "The people of Calhuitz and everyone I traveled with have left an unforgettable impact on me and the way that I live my life."

July/August 2007 - FUMC-Cary Youth Volunteers Help to Build a Maternal & Child Center in Bolivia

Youth Mission Team volunteers from First United Methodist Church in Cary, NC traveled to Montero, Bolivia to serve as Curamericas Global Volunteers this summer, aiding in the construction of the Cruz Roja Clinic's new Maternal & Child Center (run by our local partner, CSRA). The team, consisting of eleven teens and four adult chaperones, rolled up their sleeves and thoroughly impressed the local construction crew with their enthusiasm and work ethic. After a week of bending rebar, mixing cement, and hauling several tons of concrete mix, rocks, and sand, they finished pouring cement for the Center's third floor. Nice work!

These volunteers also left a lasting impression on the community through their generosity, their eagerness to participate in the culture, and the bonds they formed with friendly locals. The team brought 16 extra suitcases packed full of donated medical supplies, baby items, clothing, blankets, toys, and art supplies for the center as well as Hogar Sagrado Corazon, a local girls' orphanage. For many volunteers, visiting the orphanage and playing with the girls was a highlight of the trip. (For more trip highlights, click here to read a write-up from volunteer Matt Zimmerman!)

"This experience was more than I ever imagined it would be. I was amazed by how generous and hospitable everyone in Bolivia was... They have touched me in ways that I don't even know how to express in words."
- Becca Barrier, FUMC-Cary Youth Volunteer

"When most of us signed up for the Bolivian youth mission trip, we thought we would be sightseeing for a few days then helping in the construction of a clinic. But the trip was so MUCH more than that!"
- Matt Zimmerman, FUMC-Cary Youth volunteer

July 2007 - Maternity & Child Center in Bolivia Receives Construction Help from the Madison Horizons Rotary Club and the FUMC-Cary Youth Mission Team

Two July volunteer trips to Montero, Bolivia resulted in impressive progress on the construction of the Cruz Roja Clinic's new Maternity & Child Center (run by our local partner, CSRA.). The Madison Horizons Rotary Club of Madison, WI sent a team of twelve volunteers down to the site in the beginning of July. The First United Methodist Church of Cary, NC followed up with 16 volunteers later in the month, choosing Curamericas Global as its partner for the church's first ever international youth mission trip. The groups left a lasting impression on the community through their generosity, their eagerness to participate in the culture, and the bonds they formed with friendly locals.

A Letter from one of our Dedicated Repeat Volunteers, Dr. Rick Reifenberg

Dr. Rick Reifenberg has traveled annually to Montero, Bolivia for over six years with a team of medical colleagues to serve in our partnear clinics. Click there to read a thank you letter from Dr. Reifenberg (1.9 MB).

Newsletters from Dr. Lorinda Parks, our Long-Term Medical Volunteer in El Alto, Bolivia

In 2007, Dr. Lorinda Parks finished a year of volunteer service in the clinics of our health partner, CSRA, in El Alto, Bolivia. Dr. Parks, a pediatrician, lived in Bolivia with her husband and their two children. Click on the links below to read samples of her periodic newsletter updates.

December News from Lorinda Parks
February News from Lorinda Parks

Would you like to share stories or photos from your Curamericas Global volunteer experience? We would love to hear from you! Please email andrew@curamericas.org or call 877-510-4787.