🇨🇴 Colombia: Ongoing Support in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta
Since 2008, TOMA has been dedicated to improving healthcare among these indigenous communities. In 2012, responding to a request from the tribal health department, TOMA began installing solar energy systems in remote medical clinics and schools. These installations power vaccine refrigerators, medical and dental equipment, and provide essential lighting.Â
In March 2023, TOMA supported the creation of a solar training center for Arhuaco tribal youth near Pueblo Bello. The initiative included installing a solar system with six panels and six batteries, constructing a classroom structure, and providing advanced dental care for children in two villages. Dental supplies and equipment are delivered every year to targeted villages and tribal dentists provide dental care every three months.
🇻🇪 Venezuela: Early Medical Initiatives with the Yanomami
Our involvement in Venezuela began in 1997 during a malaria epidemic among the Yanomami tribe in the Amazon basin. Over eight years, we provided medical assistance and education to indigenous people living in the jungles of the Amazon basin to ensure their health and survival. This included year-round medical support through local mission nurses and tribal healthcare workers, training in basic and preventative healthcare, and the implementation of a malaria preventative program involving education, mosquito netting, and fogging. Additionally, TOMA developed a medical consultation communications network between villages, distant hospitals, and experts in the U.S., involving real-time video link-ups for face-to-face consultation of patient care issues. We also developed and implemented community healthcare disease prevention projects that provide long-term benefits, such as clean water projects.
Through these initiatives, the TOMA Foundation continues to empower indigenous communities in Latin America by enhancing healthcare infrastructure, providing education, and supporting economic development.