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CAMO Medical Mission Brings Healthcare to 175 Schools in Honduras

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The program’s first phase reached 485 students in 12 schools in southern Honduras, providing 1,455 health services and identifying 190 children for specialized follow-up.

CAMO South has launched an ambitious initiative that will bring preventive healthcare and health education to 175 schools across Choluteca, Honduras. Developed in partnership with Fundesur Honduras, the program is designed to improve access to essential healthcare for thousands of children living in rural communities where specialized medical services are often unavailable.

During each school visit, students receive vision, hearing, and oral health screenings. In addition, they participate in health education sessions and receive fluoride treatments to promote lifelong healthy habits. When screenings identify a potential health concern, parents receive a detailed report so their child can receive timely follow-up care.

Building Local Capacity for Lasting Impact

Before launching the program, CAMO invested in developing local leadership through an intensive training program held between February and May 2026. The training prepared the CAMO South Program Manager to lead the Vision and Hearing Health Program, coordinate national and international medical brigades, and oversee high-quality clinical and community services.

The curriculum included ophthalmology, audiology, nutrition, dentistry, community outreach, and administrative management. As a result, the team gained the technical and operational skills needed to deliver safe, ethical, and patient-centered care throughout southern Honduras.

Early Results Show Significant Need

The program is already making an impact. During June, CAMO South medical brigades visited 12 schools in the municipality of Namasigüe, providing 1,455 healthcare services to 485 students through vision, hearing, and dental screenings.

As a result, the team identified 190 children who require specialized follow-up care. Most referrals were related to hearing conditions, highlighting an important unmet healthcare need and helping guide future outreach efforts in the region.

The First Step Toward Reaching 175 Schools

These results represent only the beginning of CAMO South’s long-term commitment to improving children’s health in southern Honduras. As the program expands to all 175 participating schools, thousands more students will receive preventive screenings that can identify health conditions before they interfere with learning, development, and overall well-being. Early detection, combined with timely referrals, will help ensure more children have the opportunity to thrive both in the classroom and in life.

News Media Releases

$1.88M in Medical Aid Delivered to Honduras

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Every act of generosity has the power to change a life.

Thanks to the kindness of CAMO’s donors and partners across the United States, families throughout Honduras are receiving medical care that once felt out of reach.

During CAMO’s 2025–2026 fiscal year (May 2025 through April 2026), seven shipping containers arrived in Honduras carrying $1,881,233.62 in donated medical aid. More importantly, they carried hope.

Inside those containers were 8,606 boxes of medical supplies, nutritional supplements, mobility aids, orthopedic equipment, surgical instruments, and other essential healthcare resources. In addition, they included 406 pieces of medical equipment, such as hospital beds, incubators, dental units, and many other devices that healthcare teams use every day.

Reaching Communities That Need It Most

For more than 30 years, CAMO has worked alongside local partners to strengthen healthcare in Honduras. This year, those donations reached 73 organizations across 11 of the country’s 18 departments.

Hospitals, health clinics, municipalities, universities, churches, schools, nonprofit organizations, rehabilitation centers, and correctional facilities all received resources that continue serving their communities every day.

As a result, each donation reaches far beyond the organization that receives it. It becomes part of a larger chain of care, connecting generous donors in the United States with patients and families across Honduras.

Every Donation Has a Story

Behind every box is a person. Behind every donation is a story.

Recently, Olga and Blanca, missionaries serving remote communities along the border of Intibucá and Santa Bárbara, traveled nearly 12 hours to visit CAMO. They brought photographs and stories that reminded us why every shipment matters.

One woman wiped away tears after receiving a simple walking cane. For years, she had depended on a tree branch to help her walk. What seemed like a small gift gave her greater independence and dignity.

Another family shared how a donated hospital bed brought comfort to a critically ill loved one. Meanwhile, donated incubators continue helping healthcare professionals care for vulnerable newborns in hospitals with limited resources.

These stories remind us that medical donations do more than fill hospital shelves. They help people walk again. They give families comfort during difficult moments. They help doctors and nurses provide better care. Sometimes, they even help save a life.

Thank You for Making This Possible

Every container begins its journey in the United States. However, its destination is much more than Honduras. It reaches hospital rooms, rural clinics, schools, and families who discover that someone they have never met cared enough to help.

Thank you to every donor, volunteer, hospital, church, and partner who made these shipments possible. Your generosity delivered $1,881,233.62 in medical aid this year. More importantly, it delivered hope, dignity, and healing to thousands of people.

Together, we are building healthier communities—one shipment, one partnership, and one life at a time.

Help us fill the next container and continue bringing hope and healing to Honduras.

News Media Releases

Preventing Cervical Cancer in Honduras: CAMO Medical Mission

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For many women in the United States, a Pap smear is a routine part of preventive healthcare.

In Honduras, it’s often a different story.

Limited access to specialized gynecologic care means that thousands of women face significant barriers to receiving timely cervical cancer screening, diagnosis, and treatment. In many public hospitals, access to specialists and advanced equipment remains scarce, making early detection difficult for patients who cannot afford private healthcare.

At CAMO, we believe that everyone deserves access to lifesaving care—regardless of where they live.

That’s why volunteer physicians like Dr. Jorge Romero continue to make an extraordinary difference.

Twenty Years of Building Women’s Healthcare

For more than two decades, Dr. Jorge Romero, an OB/GYN volunteer from the United States, has partnered with CAMO to strengthen women’s healthcare in western Honduras.

Rather than focusing only on treating patients during a short medical mission, Dr. Romero’s work is centered on something even more powerful: equipping local physicians with the latest knowledge and techniques so they can continue saving lives year-round.

“We have a project with CAMO to address cervical cancer through physician training. We’ve been doing this in Santa Rosa for the past 20 years, and many doctors have been trained in this field. Cervical cancer care is constantly evolving, and it’s important that physicians stay up to date so patients receive the very best modern medicine.”

His philosophy reflects CAMO’s long-term approach to global health: create sustainable healthcare by investing in local medical professionals.

Strengthening Local Expertise

During his most recent visit to Hospital de Occidente in Santa Rosa de Copán, Dr. Romero led an intensive masterclass focused on advanced cervical cancer prevention and diagnosis.

The training included:

  • Advanced colposcopy techniques
  • LEEP (Loop Electrosurgical Excision Procedure)
  • Cervical biopsies
  • Post-procedure patient management

The educational program brought together:

  • 17 OB/GYN specialists
  • 3 general physicians
  • 1 nursing assistant

By sharing updated medical knowledge and hands-on experience, these healthcare professionals are now better prepared to identify precancerous changes early—when treatment is most effective.

Early Detection Saves Lives

Education was only one part of the mission.

Between June 1 and June 4, the team conducted a specialized colposcopy clinic at Hospital de Occidente.

During those four days:

  • 17 women received colposcopy examinations.
  • Twelve patients were identified as needing cervical biopsies for further evaluation.
  • The remaining patients were scheduled for follow-up care through the hospital.

These women now have access to critical diagnostic services that could identify cervical disease before it becomes life-threatening.

Because when cervical cancer is detected early, it is one of the most preventable and treatable forms of cancer.

More Than Equipment—A Lasting Investment

To strengthen women’s healthcare beyond this medical mission, CAMO provided Hospital de Occidente with a state-of-the-art video colposcope through a one-year equipment loan.

Combined with the 250 Pap smears made possible during the brigade, this technology enables local physicians to deliver better cervical cancer screening and continue providing specialized care long after volunteers return home.

That’s the power of sustainable healthcare: leaving behind the knowledge and tools that continue saving lives every day.

Help Build Healthier Communities

Every volunteer, every donation, and every partnership helps create lasting change.

Last year, CAMO delivered more than 217,767 healthcare services in Honduras with the support of 158 U.S. volunteers.

Whether you choose to donate or volunteer in Ohio, you can help train healthcare professionals, equip hospitals, and expand access to lifesaving care for women and families across Honduras.

Join us in building healthier communities—one life at a time.

Testimonies

A Mother’s Miracle: Restoring Sight in Honduras

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For years, Bersabé Valeriano prayed for one simple gift: the chance to see again.

The 36-year-old mother of two from Belén Gualcho, a remote community in western Honduras, had already been battling kidney disease when darkness slowly took over her life. A perforation in the cornea of her right eye left her blind and took away the independence she once enjoyed.

More than anything, she worried about her two teenage daughters.

“My daughters were worried whenever they saw me blind,” Bersabé says. “I couldn’t care for them the way a mother wants to.”

A Cornea Transplant in Honduras Changed Everything

A cornea transplant was her only hope of seeing again. However, for a homemaker living in poverty and hours away from specialized care, the procedure seemed impossible.

Still, Bersabé kept attending appointments through Fundación CAMO’s eye care program.

Then came the phone call.

The team at CAMO told her that the next day she would receive the surgery she had been praying for. Dr. Julie Schallhorn and Dr. Jay Stewart from the University of California, San Francisco had traveled to Honduras carrying donated corneas from the United States. Together with volunteer specialists from Centro Oftalmológico Robles, led by Dr. Laura Ponce, they made the surgery possible for patients with urgent needs.

As a result, Bersabé received a second chance at sight.

One year later, gratitude still fills her voice.

“I prayed to God for this miracle for years, and today I can see. I couldn’t see anything. Everything was black to me. Now, as the days go by, I see better and better.”

Today, she walks to appointments on her own and no longer fears leaving home.

“Before, I wouldn’t go out because I was afraid a car would hit me. Now I go by myself. I have my independence back. I feel happy.”

For Bersabé, recovering her vision meant much more than seeing again. It allowed her to regain her confidence and care for her family with peace of mind. Most importantly, she can once again look into her daughters’ faces without fear.

Sometimes, miracles arrive through the kindness of strangers, the generosity of donors, and one life-changing phone call.

News Media Releases

Volunteers Transform Emergency Medicine in Honduras

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What happens when medical knowledge crosses borders? At the Hospital de Occidente (HO), Emergency Medicine is not yet a formal specialty. Local doctors often face high-pressure situations without specialized training. Because of this, sustainable education is vital to save lives.

Recently, a team of volunteers traveled from the USA to Santa Rosa de Copán. They brought key skills to strengthen the local public health system. Their mission included clinical education, research, and community outreach.

Advanced Training in the ER

The first phase focused on sharing practical knowledge. Dr. Farha Khan and Rosalia Mahr led dynamic simulation sessions for local doctors. They used specialized equipment from the CAMO organization. This included advanced CPR, ACLS, and PALS mannequins.

The volunteers trained the hospital staff in key areas:

  • Life Support: They taught ACLS, PALS, and Acute Coronary Syndrome protocols.
  • Ultrasound (POCUS): Doctors learned abdominal, thoracic, and cardiac ultrasound. They also reviewed the critical FAST protocol for trauma.
  • Bedside Teaching: Simulations covered hypertensive crises and Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA). They also practiced pelvic fracture management.

The team also taught a CPR class to the X-ray technical staff. This helped extend emergency readiness across different hospital departments.

Clinical Research and Data

Long-term hospital improvement relies on accurate data. Dra. Dora Angélica Monge coordinated this effort. She serves as the Head of the Emergency Department.

Volunteers Anthony Schneider and Veena Rings spent weeks in the ER wards. They focused entirely on clinical research and data collection. This statistical work helps map out local public health needs. The ultimate goal is to design better emergency protocols for Honduran patients.

Supporting Rural Communities

Volunteer Kevin Phelan took over the data collection efforts later. However, the mission quickly expanded beyond the hospital walls. Phelan also lent his hands to specialized care and social programs.

His work included two main activities:

  • Neurology Care: He supported the neurology program at the CAMO facilities.
  • Dental Brigades: He joined rural health campaigns in Las Flores, Lempira. This brought essential oral healthcare to vulnerable communities.
Testimonies

Honduran Teen Receives Life-Changing Prosthetics

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For 13-year-old Oscar Haniel Serrano, every step has represented determination, resilience, and hope.

Haniel lives in Villanueva, Cortés, Honduras, with his father and three older siblings. As the youngest of four children, he has grown up surrounded by love and encouragement despite the challenges his family has faced.

Born with a congenital limb malformation, Haniel’s journey began differently from that of many children. Yet his story has never been defined by limitations—it has been shaped by perseverance and the support of those who chose to stand beside him.

From an early age, Haniel learned that strength is not measured by circumstances but by the courage to continue moving forward.Today, he is in his first year of secondary school and dreams of creating a brighter future through education. Like many teenagers, he wants the opportunity to learn, grow, and pursue his goals.

As Haniel continues to grow, the prosthetic limbs he depends on no longer fit, creating new challenges for his daily life and mobility.

His father works selling grains to provide for the family’s daily needs, but replacing prosthetic limbs can be financially overwhelming for many families in Honduras.

Since 2015, CAMO has been part of Haniel’s journey, helping provide medical support and prosthetic care that continue giving him the opportunity to move forward—one step at a time.

Testimonies

Young Chess Champion from Honduras Builds Futures

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In Santa Rosa de Copán, Honduras, Diana discovered that chess is more than a game—it is purpose, discipline, and opportunity.

At just 15 years old, Diana became the youngest national chess champion in Honduras. But her story did not begin with trophies or international competitions. It began with family, mentorship, and a legacy passed down through generations.

Her grandfather taught her father, and her father taught her. Three generations connected through a chessboard, creating a tradition that would shape her future.

Diana started playing chess at only three years old and began competing internationally by age seven. Since then, she has dedicated herself to constant growth and improvement. She trains seven days a week, studies every match, analyzes every move, and continually pushes beyond natural talent through hard work and determination.

More Than a Gym: A Place Where Futures Begin

Her journey found an important home at the Community Gym in Santa Rosa de Copán, Honduras—a facility completed by CAMO in 2004 and continuously supported through CAMO’s long-term commitment to community development and youth programs. “The gym is a key part of my life.

I train here and I have grown in chess,” Diana shares. “But it is also a place where many children are learning and moving forward.”

Today, Diana is a national champion, a Candidate Master, and an international competitor who has represented Honduras in Colombia, Puerto Rico, Trinidad and Tobago, and the United States.

She will soon represent her country at the Chess Olympiad in Uzbekistan. “It feels amazing to represent my country,” Diana says, “but also my city and the gym.” Her story extends beyond personal success.

Today, Diana is helping train younger children, sharing not only chess strategies but also confidence, focus, and the belief that opportunities can transform lives. She encourages young people to dream bigger and understand that success comes through dedication and perseverance.

She dreams of becoming a FIDE Master, a Grand Master, and an architect—someone who creates, designs, and builds, just as she does every time she sits in front of a chessboard.

Diana’s journey is proof that when mentorship, education, and opportunities come together, talent can thrive.

CAMO did not simply help build a community gym—it helped create a place where futures are shaped. And with continued support, many more stories like Diana’s are only beginning.

Bimonthly update

CAMO IN FOCUS MAR–APR 2026

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Read CAMO IN FOCUS MAR–APR 2026

Early detection saves lives, yet many women still lack access to screening. On Cervical Cancer Prevention Day, CAMO joined Hospital de Occidente and Dr. Jorge Romero to provide 250 free screenings, advancing care and awareness for women who need timely, life-saving prevention and treatment.

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News Media Releases

Strengthening Education for Rural Children

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CAMO’s Literacy Program is an ongoing training initiative that provides annual support for rural teachers, with follow-up training for previously trained educators and expansion as new schools join the program. Volunteers Kristyn Bourdage and Diane Ross traveled to Honduras to lead this year’s workshops and strengthen the skills of teachers serving remote communities.

In Santa Rosa de Copán, they held a two-day workshop where 54 teachers learned practical teaching methods to strengthen primary education. These teachers serve 16 rural schools across western Honduras, impacting hundreds of children.

The team then traveled to southern Honduras, where they trained 34 additional teachers as part of a new program developed in partnership with FUDESUR.

Teachers also received training in the MTSS (Multi-Tiered System of Supports) Model, which helps educators identify learning challenges early and provide the right support for each child.

By strengthening teachers, CAMO is helping ensure that every child—no matter how rural their community—has a better chance to learn, grow, and succeed.

News Media Releases

CAMO Gives Camila Hope, Healing, and a Brighter Future

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At just two years old, Camila Alessandra Orellana Chávez has already faced challenges many people never experience in a lifetime. She was born with congenital malformations in her hands and feet, including clubfoot and bilateral syndactyly, a condition in which the fingers are fused together. Her early years were marked by surgeries, uncertainty, and limited access to specialized care in Honduras.

Camila is from Gracias, Lempira, where her family searched for answers and opportunities to help their little girl live a fuller life.

Searching for Hope

From an early age, Camila underwent several surgeries on her feet. However, treatment for her hands remained out of reach because Honduras has few hand plastic and reconstructive specialists. At one point, another physician suggested amputating her fingers. For Camila’s mother, that idea was heartbreaking. She chose instead to keep hoping for another solution.

That hope arrived through a CAMO International Medical Brigade.

Life-Changing Surgery

During the brigade, Dr. Woo and Dr. O’Toole performed life-changing procedures for Camila. They reconstructed her left hand to separate fused fingers. The corrective surgery on her right hand had been performed previously at another time and by different medical professionals.

The procedures focused on improving her hand function and overall quality of life.

Remarkable Progress

Today, only two months later, the difference is remarkable.

Camila now has greater mobility in her left hand and can grasp objects much more easily. She is even picking up pencils and making her first drawings. These small milestones mean everything to a child discovering the world.

Her recovery has been carefully supported by Dr. Javier Pérez in Honduras, who continues to provide post-operative follow-up care and monitor her healing.

Hope for the Future

Camila may need additional surgeries in the future, but her mother says she feels deep joy and gratitude. She shares that her daughter “has improved in every way” and that CAMO restored her hope for a better future.

For those who already give, thank you for making moments like this possible.

For those considering helping, Camila’s story shows the difference your generosity can make.

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