Testimonials

"The Rio Beni Project began 10 years ago with Dr. Luis Netzer giving medical attention in a few communities to those who had no access to regular care. especially along the banks of the Beni River.  Then, as is the case still, the national and municipal governments lack the resources to cover health care needs in all the regions of the country.

After two years of slowly trying to maintain and grow the work on his own, Dr. Netzer was joined by longtime friend Christopher Brady, who began to look into health education and the training of community health workers and plan the fundraising efforts to support the work.  Due to Luis’ terminal illness in 1992 Christopher began coordinating all aspects of the the Project with administrative and fundraising assistance from Direct Relief International and the El Puente trips to Bolivia.

From the beginning, the Project has coordinated its work with local municipal governments, the Department of Beni and the national government in La Paz, always determined to strengthen its commitment and cooperacion.

As the former mayor of Rurrenabaque, and now the Director of the Board for the newly formed Rio Beni Health Foundation, I clearly understand the work that the Project team carries out---its huge support and assistance for poorer, isolated communities and people with less resourses.  This is why we recognize Christopher, Netzer-Brady International, the Bolivian health team for alll the work they do, and all the people in the area of Santa Barbara, California and other areas of the U.S. that support the work without knowing the people here firsthand. 

As I mentioned above, the Rio Beni work began as a project with one person only, Dr. Louis Netzer.  Now the project has become a charitable health Foundation within Boliva in order to continue expanding the services it provides without any other interest other than to continue serving and helping thne people of this region."


Very Sincerely,

Dilo Negrette Arze
Former Mayor, Rurrenabaque
Board Director, Rio Beni Health Foundation

"I'm a pre-med college student who spent five weeks volunteering with the Rio Beni Health Project this summer, and it was an experience of a lifetime. Never have I met or been a part of a team of people who give so deeply to the underserved, or love their work so much. The team members at the Rio Beni Health Foundation (RBHF) are committed to doing whatever it takes to provide sustainable health care and educational programs to people in great need, and they carry out their commitment with a spirit of love and compassion. From my first day there I was met with an overwhelming acceptance (an unfailing characteristic of the team) which carried with it a strong sense of camaraderie and family. Language struggles or situational dilemmas are no barrier to these people, who work together to serve in an effort to meet the challenges of extreme poverty's repercussions in health.

In Bolivia I observed first hand the difficulties and perseverance involved in rural/tropical medicine with respect to overcoming geographic, political, technological, monetary and cultural barriers (to name a few). From my involvement, I have grown enormously in my own appreciation and respect for people like the team of the RBHF, the sort of people I now aspire to be. By contributing this summer in projects ranging from education to water purification to small city and small rural community clinics, I've been intimately exposed to an area of enormous need. I count myself blessed to be given the opportunity to build relationships and work together with the heroes who selflessly give of themselves in order to meet that need head-on. "

Daniel Seible
University of California, Santa Barbara
Summer 2008

"It is an honor to remember and give thanks to people who have big hearts, and who feel and see the necessity to help families and communities that lack the economic resources to cover their basic health needs.

It is for this that I would like to sincerely thank Fundacion Salud Rio Beni and its health work. I would especially like to thank Netzer-Brady International for having had the vision to create an important health project for the isolated and sometimes forgotten communities that the central government does not or cannot attend to -- like my community of San Jose de Uchupiamonas, and so many more.

Dr. Louis Netzer began the work of bringing basic health services to my village, and it has been very important to maintain this alliance with the Project and Netzer-Brady International, working together for better health for humanity."

Alejandro Alvarez
Lead Guide and Naturalist
Chalalan Eco-Lodge
Madidi National Park

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