Supporting sustainable community driven initiatives

Dear Friends of Amazon Promise,

We’re so thankful and excited to share the latest news and give you an update on our ongoing programs and projects!

In January, Amazon Promise, along with our partners from Global First Responder, provided medical care and health education to 410 people in five communities of the remote Pacaya Samiria National Reserve.

This team also built a 2000 sq. ft. community center in the village of Bello Horizonte, located on the Marañon River.

Once this team was finished, our partners from the Kansas City professional chapter of Engineers Without Borders arrived to install a potable rainwater catchment system connected to the new building.

This is an exciting collaboration that showcases the power of partnership and community spirit, and we couldn’t be prouder to play a role in bringing these incredible organizations together with the people of Bello Horizonte for such a noble cause. Our appreciation to Amazon Promise Special Projects Manager, Jose Luis Valles, for his unwavering dedication to bringing clean potable water to all communities!

After a hiatus since March 2020, we are very pleased to collaborate once again with the Western Michigan Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine (WMed).

Working in remote communities of the Pacaya Samiria National Reserve and the lower Marañon and Ucayali Rivers in February and March, our combined Peruvian/WMed team provided medical care, health education, diagnostic imaging, and laboratory analysis to 743 people. The exceptional Amazon Promise dental team provided fillings, extractions, cleanings, and fluoride treatment to 284 patients. 

Several individuals were sent to Iquitos with a variety of urgent needs such as a finger amputation, untreated tuberculosis, and HIV. We are providing follow-up care and assistance to all.

Our teams usually get called to do house calls in the villages we work in. During our first clinic day an elderly man asked us if we would see his son Giovani (27) who was very sick at home. The doctor we sent to see Giovani found him lying in a hammock in his hut severely emaciated and barely able to breathe. His father informed us that his son had been diagnosed with TB and HIV. He was attempting to take both treatments at the same time but became very ill so he stopped taking the TB treatment. We provided the means to his father to have him immediately transferred by boat to the medical post in the port town of Nauta (4 hours), then a two-hour ambulance transfer to the city of Iquitos where an Amazon Promise patient advocate was waiting to take Giovani to the ER at the Regional Hospital. 

Because he didn’t have a government issued ID the hospital wasn’t going to accept him at first, but we were able to clear that up pretty quickly and have him hospitalized that day February 27th. 

Giovani has been through a lot, and we are relieved to report he’s made great progress.  He was alert and able to speak by the middle of March and standing up on his own a week later. Amazon Promise is providing the necessary aid and assistance for him to stay in Iquitos until he’s strong enough to return to his village, which should be very soon.  

It is a privilege to provide life-saving care and comfort to people who are suffering, and your continued support makes it possible.

Thank you so much!

Because of your generosity and unwavering support over the last 33 years Amazon Promise continues to serve as a vital lifeline for people in need in Peru.

We can’t do it without you!

Healing Beyond the Clinic: The Importance of Patient Follow-up and Advocacy

The care Amazon Promise medical teams provide doesn’t end when the last patient is seen and we pack up and move to the next community.

Those with urgent or emergency needs may be sent to the nearest medical center or to the hospital in the city of Iquitos where we will continue to monitor and provide aid. It’s not a simple task to send a sick person who needs urgent care from their jungle community to the city. They often don’t have the funds to cover even the basic costs of river and urban travel for themselves and the family member that must accompany them.

Amazon Promise plays a pivotal role in bridging the gaps that often leave vulnerable patients without essential support.

By covering critical expenses such as transportation, lodging, meals, medications, and imaging that government insurance does not cover, we are committed to ensuring those most in need are not left behind.

However, the situation becomes dire for those without government insurance or proper identification, as they face being turned away from vital medical services which is exactly what happened with Giovani (see above).

This is where the invaluable contributions of our ¡Soy Capaz! patient advocate and educator, Angela Valcarcel, come into play. ¡Soy Capaz! (I Am Capable!) is the educational branch of Amazon Promise.

With her expertise, Angela not only provides essential health education during our remote jungle outreach clinics but also successfully navigates the obstacles that arise when patients encounter barriers to care. Her swift problem-solving skills enable patients who may otherwise feel lost and abandoned, to receive the urgent and follow-up care they desperately need.

As part of our ongoing education campaign, Angela provides monthly workshops in the impoverished urban community of Belen on topics such as HIV prevention and domestic violence targeting diverse population groups, conducts house-to-house calls, and gives individual counseling linking people to HIV services and the Emergency Center for Women (CEM).

Angela’s dedication and compassion are integral to our mission, making her an indispensable asset in our pursuit of comprehensive care and health education for all.

Amazon Promise: Impact Through Support

Supporting Amazon Promise is more than a charitable gesture—it’s an investment in life-changing access to essential healthcare and clean water to those who need it most.

Building Stronger Communities

Through your involvement and support, Amazon Promise fosters the development of healthier and more resilient communities. By improving access to healthcare and potable water, we empower people to lead better lives and strengthen the foundation of their communities for the future.

Thanks to our partnership with Engineers Without Borders USA, as of April 2026, 22 communities have access to potable water. See above map for water system, septic toilet, and construction of community center locations.

The Amazon Promise office in Iquitos, Peru is open year-round to receive patients & provide follow-up and ongoing care to those in need. 322 Malecon Tarapaca, Iquitos, Peru.

Your continued support makes it all possible! Thank you!

Amazon Promise – Sustainable Health for Peru

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