Author: Maria Dolokhova

“Now we don’t have to choose between medications and healthy food”

Take a virtual tour of our clinics in Guatemala and Nicaragua, and spend a day with our volunteers.  Mornings start at 6 or 7 am depending on the schedule for the day. Volunteers on breakfast duty get up earlier, while those responsible for washing the dishes have an opportunity to get some more sleep. For…

Treating diseases is a major part of our work at Health & Help. They can be contagious or non-communicable, fully treatable or chronic. Here are some of the most common illnesses our patients experience:  Diabetes – When left untreated, this illness causes high blood sugar, and later cardiovascular, kidney, and eye problems. Over 8% of…

The reality of life in Guatemala, as in many developing countries, is that many women are kept in the dark about reproductive health, family planning, and contraceptives. Both sex education and abortion are prohibited by law in Guatemala, and in the machismo culture, women’s rights in general can be severely restricted. In 2022, the Guatemalan…

This is the face of an Everyday Hero: Health & Help Ambassador Bernadita Buffoni Tardella. She’s an ordinary person doing extraordinary things whose sole superpower is her commitment to affect positive change – right here, right now.  When Bernadita was a 15-year-old watching “House” and “Grey’s Anatomy” she knew she had found her mission: helping…

Our clinic in Guatemala turned 5 years old this year, and the clinic in Nicaragua opened over two years ago. What do we have to show for it? In this time, we’ve treated thousands of patients, upgraded the clinics, and expanded our team. Keep reading to learn more about the work we’ve accomplished.  Just in…

While they write, translate, negotiate, teach, search for grants, and create strategies, we give shots, insert IVs, bandage, stitch, and cure. Together, we make this world a tiny bit better.

Hooray – we’ve survived! Guatemala has finally lifted quarantine restrictions: the borders have opened, buses are out on the streets again, and people are calmer and happier. However, it is too early to breathe a sigh of relief.

Everyone knows that a quarantine is the best way to prevent the virus from spreading. Nevertheless, there are patients with serious diseases that must be treated regardless of the quarantine, otherwise they risk dying before the epidemic even reaches them.

Guatemala has closed its borders to foreigners. This means there aren’t new volunteers joining the project and no one is able to bring new medicines.