- A group opportunity. Invite your friends.
-
32 people are interested
Global Health Volunteer: Las Delicias, El Salvador
ORGANIZATION: Foundation for International Medical Relief of Children
Please visit the new page to apply.
- A group opportunity. Invite your friends.
-
32 people are interested
Our clinic serves Las Delicias, a small, rural community located outside El Salvador's capital of San Salvador. Most families here live in houses made of wood panels or aluminum and have limited or no access to reliable, potable water. Unemployment and underemployment plague the community, as many of the area's coffee and subsistence farmers have gone out of business in recent years. As the community's socioeconomic situation has declined, general health and medical availability has declined as well. Most medical facilities are unaffordable to the families of Las Delicias. Before FIMRC opened its clinic, the nearest accessible medical care was too far away to reach without walking for almost a day.
Today, common illnesses afflicting the community are gastroenteritis, influenza, malaria, measles, pneumonia, and bronchitis, caused or complicated by malnutrition, bad sanitation, and poor housing. Children are particularly vulnerable to health related issues caused by poverty including diarrhea, head lice, malnutrition, and bronchial infections.
Volunteers will typically spend half their time at the clinic site, working with the clinic doctor and staff to see patients. The other half of volunteers' time will be spent planning and presenting health education lessons and seminars, as well as performing house calls throughout the community. Volunteers also have the unique opportunity to aid FIMRC in collecting basic health statistics and surveying families in the community to develop assessments of healthcare needs.
We host volunteers traveling in groups as well as individually. Volunteers are welcome to travel for a week, a month, or more!
More opportunities with Foundation for International Medical Relief of Children
1 ReviewNo additional volunteer opportunities at this time.
About Foundation for International Medical Relief of Children
Location:
1518 Walnut St., Suite 1504, Philadelphia, PA 19102, US
Mission Statement
Our mission is to provide access to medical care for underprivileged and medically underserved families around the world.
We work to accomplish our mission in the following ways:
ACCESSFirst and foremost, we look at access to healthcare. Can our community members easily get to a clinic? What do they do in case of an emergency? In areas where no clinical services are available, we work with the community to build out the necessary infrastructure to improve access. Whether it be the construction of our own clinic or modifying a building within the community, we work to ensure that the communities we serve have the ability to seek a healthcare professional.
EDUCATIONAnother major focus of our work is preventative health. We work hard to integrate into our communities to address local needs and launch outreach programs. We listen to our community members, the Ministry of Health and other major organizations in the communities where we work and build health education programs based on the feedback.
PARTICIPATION
A key component of our success is participation. Participation from community members is vital, as we ask the community to work alongside us in improving health in the communities in which we work.
We also believe in participation from the global community. That's why FIMRC engages volunteers from all walks of life to participate in our programs. The Global Health Volunteer Program, Chaptership Program and Internship Program are all ways in which we hope to inspire the global community to help improve the health of those that we serve.
Through determination and the belief that all children deserve health, FIMRC declares itself as a major force in the delivery of healthcare worldwide - one clinic and one child at a time.
Description
FIMRC is a 501(c)(3), non-profit organization dedicated to improving the health of families in the developing world through the implementation of innovative and self-sustainable health improvement programs. Through its network of outpatient clinics and partnerships, FIMRC asserts a multidimensional strategy that includes clinical services, extensive community outreach efforts and health education programs.
FIMRC is a self-sustainable organization with project related funding provided from business operations - the Global Health Volunteer Program engages approximately 800 individuals annually who volunteer their time abroad and make a contribution in exchange for the experience FIMRC provides. Over 90% of FIMRC’s revenue is derived from our volunteer program.
FIMRC was founded in 2002, is incorporated in Washington, DC and headquartered in Philadelphia, PA. The FIMRC team includes over 3,000 dedicated staff and volunteers worldwide who provide the leadership and support necessary to achieve our mission of improving access to health care for children in underserved communities.
CAUSE AREAS
WHEN
WHERE
Clinica Las DeliciasLas Delicias, La Libertad El Salvador
DATE POSTED
September 15, 2021
SKILLS
GOOD FOR
- Kids
- Teens
- People 55+
- Group
REQUIREMENTS
N/A