AidJoy wants you to see how our medical teams deliver critical medical assistance to remote villages. We invite your reporters and camera crews to join us on the Amazon May 16-22 to see how volunteers are helping villagers there survive and thrive. If your crew cannot make the journey we will be glad to provide footage and interviews with questions you submit in the video format you will need for broadcast.
Departing From:
Iquitos Peru: the largest city in the world with no road access, your audience will experience the Amazon jungle aboard the Nenita (Little Girl), a 70-foot hand-built river launch constructed of local hardwoods. The Nenita is piloted by a seasoned crew who has been managing medical expeditions in the Amazon for the last sixteen years.
These expeditions have proven to be extremely positive experiences for everyone involved; medical staff, crew, volunteers, and patients alike. Every year we provide health care to some 8,000 rural villagers while giving volunteers the chance to appreciate an exciting culture in the world’s greatest jungle.
What You’ll Get To See:
The Amazon always offers an extraordinary world of exotic wildlife including wooly monkeys, sloths, capybaras, pink dolphins and agoutis, to name a few. However, the real attraction is getting to meet the colorful people who have carved out lives in this remote corner of the world for many generations. On this expedition we will introduce you and your audience to the friendly families that live in the village of “flowers”, the village of “hope”, and one of our personal favorites- the “electric eel” village.
Our Mission is To Help:
Isolation, poverty and a general lack of healthcare education or medical supplies available to these communities contribute to an overall poor level of health. On our life-saving medical missions in the Amazon rainforest we regularly encounter and treat malaria, yellow fever, hepatitis, tuberculosis, bacterial infections, intestinal parasites and snake bites. We provide training for midwives and village health promoters and supply them with the necessary supplies to care for their communities in our absence.
Activities:
When you snake your way deep into the rainforest on one of the Amazon’s many tributaries you are guaranteed an adventure. Here are a few of the many activities that are always on the itinerary:
Distribution of Medicine: Painkillers, anti-malarials, antibiotics, and vitamins are the staples. Doctors perform patient consultations and check blood samples for signs of malaria. Nurses inoculate tearful children, the dentist pulls teeth, support staff fill out forms and fill prescriptions. Whether in the community school or on the Nenita, our health clinics always have the air of well-orchestrated pandemonium.
Oral Hygiene Education: At the end of every health clinic the village children are assembled around our dentist for an entertaining, highly animated demonstration of proper brushing techniques and distribution of toothbrushes. Tooth decay is a constant battle for our team. We currently have no capacity for performing oral surgery in the field so tooth extractions are the norm for now.
Water Sports: We work long and hard during the day. Come evening, with clinic finished and supplies and equipment stowed, the village comes alive and it is time for us to unwind. No matter how many hours we have put in at clinic there is always time for a relaxing swim or a canoe trip with newfound friends… and despite what you may have heard, you won’t get eaten by piranhas.
Home-Cooked Meals: One thing that is not lacking on our medical expeditions is a variety of good things to eat. Local fare ranges from a few of the dozens of different tropical fruits and fish to the more exotic: capybara (basically a giant guinea pig) and agouti (a vegetarian jungle rat.) Expect to see more than a few helpings of fried plantains, rice, and beans as well- all flavored with local seasonings.
Sample rough itinerary for trip from May 16th - 22nd:
May 14th:
a. The Nenita departs toward the villages in need of medical care along the Nanay river.
May 16th:
a. Your team will be met at the airport in Iquitos by an AidJoy team member and Cesar, a bilingual staff member of Project Amazonas.
b. A fleet of moto-taxis (motorcycle front and rickshaw back) will shuttle you through Iquitos to a Project Amazonas medical speedboat.
c. Catch-
d. Join the doctors, nurses and staff for lunch at the first village on the itinerary.
e. After lunch we will swing into action treating patients in the first village.
May 17th – 22nd:
a. Continue up the Nanay and Pintoyacu rivers, stopping at villages along the way to set up clinic and film.
b. The medical expedition will continue until May 22nd. You are welcome to stay aboard for the full expedition or we would be happy to take you back to Iquitos via speedboat if required.
c. We will give you a hand getting to a hotel or back to the airport.
Who:
AidJoy is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that solves dire problems by empowering proven charities through journalism, web development, and marketing.
Learn more about AidJoy at: http://www.aidjoy.org
Project Amazonas is a joint US / Peruvian non-profit organization based in Iquitos, Peru. Since 1994, Project Amazonas has been a champion for the health of the Peruvian rainforest through the operation of hospital boats, field research stations, and land stewardship programs.
Learn more about Project Amazonas at: http://www.projectamazonas.org
