Staff in Vozandes Community Development work in seven provinces of Ecuador—Bolívar, Chimborazo, Esmeraldas, Morona Santiago, Pastaza, Pichincha and Tungurahua. In 2008 the department served more than 55,000 people, including 51,260 in Vozandes Clinics (now part of Hospital Vozandes-Quito), 1,820 in mobile medical clinics and about 1,785 in water projects.

Mobile medical clinics are weeklong caravans are held approximately once a month. Staff members visit rural areas and poor city neighborhoods, offering care where no public health facilities exist. Staff members in a clinic normally include a family practice doctor, an intern from Hospital Vozandes-Quito, a dentist and assistant, a nurse practitioner, a pastor and person to take vital signs. The “JESUS” film was shown in most of these areas, and a Quichua pastor/evangelist has been helping with the preaching in the Quichua areas.

Clean Water projects provide clean drinking water and sanitation to rural Ecuadorian communities. Many rural Ecuadorians do not have access to safe drinking water. Community wells with hand pumps and community potable water systems with a spigot or connection for each home are built to meet this need. Health/hygiene teaching, water system maintenance training and follow-up are provided to improve the health benefits and assure sustainability. In each project, the benefiting community provides the manual labor and the majority of the resources needed. Pastoral and church lay leadership training is provided in conjunction with the projects. This ministry is funded by HCJB Global Hands’ donors, churches, partnering charitable organizations and government agencies. In 2008 three projects were completing, benefiting nearly 1,800 needy Ecuadorians.

Learn more at: water.hcjb.org