Our Stories
The FUEGO Foundation was founded in 2011 and through the years has supported many graduate students with their health care mission-related travel expenses. The organization has given grants to dedicated nonprofit organizations abroad who lift and serve community members to enhance access to health care, expand direct medical aid, and spread health related education. FUEGO also sponsors multi-disciplinary mission trips to directly serve the under resourced. A hallmark of these efforts is collaboration with local providers to assure follow-up and continuity of care.
Clinica Assade
San Andres Itzapa, Guatemala
Clinica Assade is an outpatient clinic serving those with limited resources situated in a town of around 30,000 accessible to the inhabitants of many nearby villages where mostly indigenous (Mayan) people live. Patients are attended by a general medical doctor, a nurse, and a dentist. An administrator and two staff members round out the health care team. Fees are low and are based on ability to pay.
The FUEGO Foundation has provided the physician salary and administrative expenses to ensure that low cost services continue to be available to the community.
Mission: April/May 2025
La Playa and Rincon de La Playa,
Baja Sur California, Mexico
Under the auspices of Vida Sana, a consortium of nonprofits from the U.S. and Mexico, a small team of volunteers from the U.S. combined with a team of volunteers from Mexico worked together to serve at a primary school, a secondary school, and a community health fair. An important focus for this organization has been to establish a database for the members of the community that tracks many different health determinants and that is used to assure follow-up by local providers for those in need of continuity care. With feedback from the local providers, the visiting volunteers are able to direct their support to the greatest need. Specialties represented included family medicine, mental health services, podiatry, and eye care.
Hearts in Motion
Gualan and Teculutan, Guatemala
Hearts in Motion is a nonprofit organization that operates three therapy centers in the state of Zacapa in the highlands of Guatemala. Rehabilitation services are not readily available in the region outside these clinics. The operations are a collaboration with local providers and give access to affordable rehabilitative care. The clinics also have a strong educational component and invite students in physical, occupational, speech therapy and audiology to visit and support the clinics regularly. The FUEGO Foundation has provided several grants to support their excellent work.
Mission: November 2024
La Playa and Las Animas,
Baja Sur California, Mexico
Twelve volunteers from The FUEGO Foundation traveled to small towns 30-45 minutes from San Jose del Cabo. Care was provided to seniors, orphans, and students. Included was first aid training, vision care, family medicine, podiatry, and mental health. School supplies were donated.
Sixty children’s books in Spanish were donated to the new library at the Community Center.
Yellow Ray Foundation
Ghana, West Africa
The Yellow Ray Foundation is an NGO in Ghana West Africa with the major aim to reduce gender and sexual based violence and adolescent pregnancy through the provision of sensitization and educational programs to the at-risk population and to provide psychosocial support and livelihood training to teenage mothers. They provide support and skills training at the V-Oven making and selling healthy, fruit-based bread. This skill helps young mothers leverage themselves out of poverty.
The grant from the FUEGO Foundation was used to purchase industrial baking machinery for use in a humble new facility dedicated to the training of young women and to derive revenue for the Foundation.
Mission: March 2024
Las Animas and Cabo San Lucas,
Baja Sur California, Mexico
A team from the FUEGO Foundation brought with it 250 pounds of school supplies for distribution to schools and an orphanage. 1 1/2 days were spent painting three rooms in the Casa de Dia Adult Day Center and a cash donation was given for repairs and a handicapped ramp. Volunteers read to children at a school and at an orphanage. Occupational therapy, family medicine, and foot care were provided to adults and children.
Mission: March 2023
Antigua, Sacatepequez, Guatemala
The FUEGO team collaborated with The Maya Health Alliance and spent two days cleaning and painting three rooms that would be used for chemotherapy patients from rural areas who need overnight accommodations. We also delivered 50 pounds of medical supplies for use by the clinic in Sacatepequez. The team delivered a cash donation to the Convent of the Nazarene in San Andres Itzapa for much needed repairs of their roof. Over the counter medical supplies were donated and foot care was also provided. The team delivered additional medical supplies and equipment to Clinica Assade, a clinic for the under resourced supported by FUEGO and DOCare International.
Let’s Work Together
Please send us a message if you are interested in volunteering to support FUEGO in fulfilling its objectives of increasing ACCESS to quality health care, growing the amount of direct AID, and expanding EDUCATION about good health for struggling populations.
We welcome volunteers from any and all backgrounds including technology, marketing, development, branches of health care, etc.
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