I had not seen a doctor in years. I don’t have the money for a private doctor or a health center. Then with International Samaritan, I spoke to a doctor, I got an appointment, I went in for that appointment, and I got treatment and medication that same day. It was effective, easy, and really, really helpful.

Lilieth richards, july 2021

Most people who live in garbage dump communities have never seen a doctor.

Many families in the communities we serve are unable to get proper medical care. They are also consistently exposed to waste and pollutants in the garbage dumps and can lack access to proper nutrition, sanitation, and safe water. All of these combine to lower the average life expectancy of someone in one of these communities to 35 years of age and creates a horrific infant mortality rate. Only two out of three infants typically survive their first few years of life.

That’s where we come in. International Samaritan improves community health not just by connecting communities with doctors, but by improving the whole infrastructure of their communities in sustainable ways.

over 10,000 medical patients served

In the past 10 years, International Samaritan has provided care through both medical missions and partnerships with local medical clinics. We have served over 10,000 patients through our medical missions alone. Our initiatives have offered needed emergency medical and dental care to many individuals, as well as nearly eradicated certain pervasive medical conditions in our communities. For example, at the beginning of 2020, the community of Chinautla reported a 94% reduction of their major scabies outbreak after our work in their community.

But COVID has changed our model.

The Coronavirus pandemic has shown the overwhelming need in our communities for aid that goes beyond medical missions and partnerships. In 2020, we expanded our health and wellness initiatives. Our model now encompasses:

medical missions & telemedicine

building & partnering with local clinics

clean water initiatives

Nutritional aid & education

Sanitary aid & education

mental health initiatives

Water flows in Kore, Ethiopia.

In the late Spring of 2021, International Samaritan fulfilled one of its goals: Getting water flowing in Kore, Ethiopia. The project was done in partnership with the nonprofit Water Mission. Learn about the impact of the water project on Betty through the video to the right. 

We’ve been doing a lot with water in Ethiopia in the last few years. From public restrooms and showers to hand washing stations and now a well, we have been striving to improve sanitation outcomes in Kore — and these are the results. We’ve begun replicating this work in our sites in Central America, starting with providing wells where we can and water filters everywhere else.

See our impact in real time by subscribing to our Impact Stories.

About Us

International Samaritan is a nonprofit organization with the designation 501(c)(3). Our headquarters is located in Ann Arbor Michigan.

info@intsam.org

(734) 222-0701

803 N Main St, Ann Arbor, MI 48104

M-F: 9am-5pm, S-S: Closed

Have a Question?

Shoot us a message using this form and we’ll respond to you shortly. If you’re interested in our service immersions or medical missions, visit our “Serve” page.