The center covers a varied range of work, the principal goal being to help people break free of extreme poverty.  The center is a fully-equipped medical and dental facility.  The aim of the project is to attend to local members of the community as well as those from nearby areas, mainly assisting them in the areas of preventive health care, pediatrics, gynecology, family medicine and dentistry. 

Priority is always given to the medical care and education of those in extreme poverty.  The need to research new methods of funding is a prerequisite to ensure project costs are met.

The project was set up in 1993 as an animal rescue center. The center is privately managed by a Swiss/Quechan couple and constitutes part of the protected “Selva Viva” forest that spans 1300 hectares. Forest wardens make daily walks in to the forest to guard against poaching, the uprooting of trees and general environmental damage.

Beginning in 1993, the center initially took in animals rescued by the Ecuadorian government. However, it is not just the Ecuadorian government who bring animals to the center but people who used to keep wild animals as pets and subsequently realize that they cannot cope with these animals. Furthermore, some of the animals brought to the center are the young of the mothers killed by hunters. To have in your possession, buy or sell wild animals is prohibited. However, such incidences occur frequently.

The school provides education up to the fourth grade of primary school, whilst the nursery looks after children from three months to four years old.  The project provides the children with good quality, bilingual education as this is often their only means of escaping poverty.  You as volunteer will form part of our “family”, teaching, guiding and supervising children in all their daily activities.