Mission / History

Mission

Our mission is to help families achieve greater freedom from the constraints of poverty, empowering them to live healthier lives. Our patients did not choose to be poor, but they have chosen to strive toward a better life; MEDLIFE stands beside them in this pursuit. We aim to achieve this goal through partnering with motivated individuals in poor communities working to improve their access to MEDs: Medicine, Education and community Development. MEDLIFE believes access to quality healthcare is a basic human right. To this end, we commit our time, resources, knowledge and hope to bring Medicine, Education and Development to Low Income Families Everywhere.

History

MEDLIFE is a non-profit organization that started as a University of MAINE student group in 2005 and now works with students and professionals from across the United States. One of the founders of MEDLIFE, was living in Ecuador as a volunteer at a local hospital and translating for international health organizations.

While translating for an international medical mission, he learned about a Canadian family that had lost their daughter in an accident and, in her memory, built a school for the poor through an international relief organization. The family had sent a bag of school donations and clothes to take to the school. MEDLIFE’s founder along with an Ecuadorian friend offered to take the supplies to the village, Llilla. In the end it would be a 2 hour bus ride, 1 hour ride in the back of a pick up truck, and 3 hour hike into the mountains. It was inspiring that such a remote village with so few resources had a school.

Arriving at night, the team was greeted by the families of Llilla. They came out of their mud and straw houses and brought blankets and food. In the morning, they provided a horse to get down the mountain. It became clear that, although they were poor, they were ready to share what they had with someone from outside of their community.

The experience was rewarding for everyone involved. Hence, MEDLIFE was born. MEDLIFE is an organization which at its root seeks to partner with poor communities that are ready to act on their own behalf to gain access to medical care, education and community development. We listen to our partners and the troubles they face, and then work to empower them so that together we can work to improve the lives of people living in poverty.