We’re nothing without our team. In this blog post series, meet the people behind true change, and learn from them as they share their Health Bridges International (HBI) journey and how they’re working for a healthier future for the most vulnerable children in Perú.
Dr. Roberto H. Tarazona Ponte: The People’s Doctor
Born and raised in the port city of Callao, Perú, Dr. Roberto H. Tarazona Ponte’s medical career is anchored by his passion to get quality healthcare to people who need it most. He has worked with underfunded health facilities, ran medical campaigns, trained community health workers, and invested in health education to prevent the spread of disease in vulnerable populations. When he met HBI doctors working in one of the poorest communities in Lima, Dr. Roberto was inspired – did he just find an organization that matched his personal mission? Today, he is HBI’s Senior Health Advisor and Medical Trainer, overseeing the Ines Project and the Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP), programs he refers to as “living organisms” — each one having its own special dynamic sustained by the shared effort of people and institutions across civil society, governments, churches, and nonprofits.
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Day 3: Adventures in the Andes – wayne centrone
/0 Comments/in Blog /by Wayne CentroneSix hours of driving in the high Andes mountains, and we arrived in the city of Huancane at nearly 4,000 meters above sea level around 6 pm on Monday night. Father Alex and I are staying with the Bishop of Huancane. Bishop Giovani is a fellow Missionary Society of St. Paul priest from Malta and one of the most sincere and dearest people on the planet. We are joining the Bishop to travel from small village to small village over the next four days.
Bright and early this morning I went for a run. In small communities like Huancane there are not a lot of foreign visitors. This was especially true as I huffed and puffed my way up the concrete streets. When I got back to the rectory where we are staying – one of the priests told me the whole town was talking about the “crazy gringo running up and down the streets.” I think I gave them something to talk about over their morning coffee.
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Day 2: Arequipa and Beyond – wayne centrone
/0 Comments/in Blog /by Wayne CentroneWords can’t express strongly enough how much it meant to have dinner with my dear colleagues last night. Our intention was to go to our neighborhood restaurant, but COVID rules mean most places close by 6 pm. Alas, we had to go to Jose Antonio – one of my favorites!
Now, after an early morning flight – I find myself typing this post in the volunteer house of Father Alex in Arequipa. Needless-to-say, its beautiful!
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Bridge Builders: The Heart of Our Work (Part 2 of 2)
/0 Comments/in Blog /by Wayne CentroneWe’re nothing without our team. In the last installment of this series, meet the people behind true change, and learn from them as they share their Health Bridges International (HBI) journey and how they’re working for a healthier future for the most vulnerable children in Perú.
Srta. Lidia Nancy Cari Ruiz, HBI’s Partner-in-Collaboration
Srta. Lidia Nancy Cari Ruiz possesses a gift: she’s an incredible gatherer of people and partners. More than 15 years ago, her heart for meaningful relationships led her to volunteer in NGOs because sharing cultures, exchanging ideas, and learning different perspectives inspires her. Her fluency in both Spanish and English only enhances her relationship skills, allowing her to build trust with teammates, volunteers, and supporters.
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Bridge Builders: The Heart of Our Work (Part 1 of 2)
/0 Comments/in Blog /by Wayne CentroneWe’re nothing without our team. In this blog post series, meet the people behind true change, and learn from them as they share their Health Bridges International (HBI) journey and how they’re working for a healthier future for the most vulnerable children in Perú.
Dr. Roberto H. Tarazona Ponte: The People’s Doctor
Born and raised in the port city of Callao, Perú, Dr. Roberto H. Tarazona Ponte’s medical career is anchored by his passion to get quality healthcare to people who need it most. He has worked with underfunded health facilities, ran medical campaigns, trained community health workers, and invested in health education to prevent the spread of disease in vulnerable populations. When he met HBI doctors working in one of the poorest communities in Lima, Dr. Roberto was inspired – did he just find an organization that matched his personal mission? Today, he is HBI’s Senior Health Advisor and Medical Trainer, overseeing the Ines Project and the Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP), programs he refers to as “living organisms” — each one having its own special dynamic sustained by the shared effort of people and institutions across civil society, governments, churches, and nonprofits.
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Field Notes: Lessons on Empowerment & Sustainability
/0 Comments/in Blog /by Wayne CentronePushing Rocks – Wayne Centrone
/0 Comments/in Blog /by Wayne CentroneIn Greek mythology Sisyphus was the king of the ancient city of Ephyra. In punishment for cheating death, he was forced to roll a boulder up a hill only to have it continuously roll back every time he neared the summit. Sisyphus’ ultimate punishment was being cursed to repeat the action for all eternity.
Sometimes our work feels a bit like rolling a rock up a hill, only to have it tumble back down before we can reach the top. This week we learned one of the young men in our Tigres Program died. He died from complications associated with poorly managed tuberculosis. Read more
It gets messy
/0 Comments/in Blog /by Wayne CentroneCultivating Change
/0 Comments/in Blog /by Wayne CentroneI worked in the garden yesterday. No, not our garden – my father-in-laws small vegetable garden.
Getting my hands dirty and working the soil, it was a powerful experience. There is a lot that goes into gardening. I know – this is where you can collectively say, duh … wayne.
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Building A Child Empowerment Framework for All
/1 Comment/in Blog /by Wayne CentroneIn my last post, I talked about our reawakening. The pandemic, despite being a period of crisis, gave us a chance to reflect on our work in Perù’s child welfare sector and recognize our unique position to be more of service to others. From the coalitions we established with partners to serve street youth, to […]
Bending the Arc
/0 Comments/in Blog /by Wayne CentroneDr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
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