Highlight

Leading the Way to Accessible Healthcare

Meet Guadalupe Lisette Mojica Peña. She started to work with DTCare in November of 2021 to manage our Monte Lirio Community Clinic. She is a certified nursing technician and is working towards getting her license in fitting prosthetics.

Not only does she help Daniel Cedeña with medical aid distribution to those in the community who cannot travel to the clinic, but she also administers regular medical appointments for those who come to the clinic, writes and issues health aid brochures for those who visit the clinic, advertises the clinic in surrounding community areas, and routinely travels up to our Blue Garden elementary and pre-school to conduct check-ups for the students there. When asked how she likes her job, she writes, “Every day is a new experience, from the first day, until today. I love my job of serving the people who need it most, to see hope reflected in their faces while they receive a donation of equipment either for themselves or their families. To receive a smile of gratitude and to know that in the face of adversity, they always reflect harmony, and that makes me feel that we are doing things well.

How we meet the UN’s sustainability goals

Goal 2: Zero Hunger

DTCare is combatting food insecurity and malnutrition among children in Panama through free meals and nutrition education initiatives at our Blue Garden Elementary School in Monte Lirio. An estimated 15.9% of children under 5 years of age suffer from stunting due to malnutrition, according to UNICEF, WHO, and World Bank’s Joint Malnutrition Estimates. DTCare appointed a chef at the Blue Garden School to ensure the children receive nutritious, home-cooked meals for breakfast and lunch every day. Often, the school meals the children receive are the only nutritious meals they receive per day.
Learn more →
Goal 3: Health

DTCare promotes the good health and well-being of underprivileged populations in the Monte Lirio region, Panama. DTCare’s community health clinic caters to the residents of Monte Lirio and surrounding areas through essential healthcare services including primary care, mobility and medical equipment provision, humanitarian assistance, and women’s health education free of charge.
Learn more →
Goal 4: Quality Education

DTCare is giving more than 20 children the opportunity to stay in school and learn fundamental literacy skills at our Blue Garden Elementary School in Monte Lirio, Panama, free of charge. The school is specifically designed to cater to children aged between 3 and 15 with diverse learning needs or who may not have access to education otherwise. Along with traditional subjects such as reading, math, and writing, the school curriculum also includes English, computer literacy, and health and wellness. The school staff goes above and beyond to engage learners in lessons while fostering their development and well-being.
Learn more →
Goal 5: Gender Equality

DTCare is setting out to address discrimination, inequality, and poverty that disproportionately affects girls and women in Panama through women’s health education and resources, adult literacy classes, and free schooling. DTCare is working to empower girls and women in rural regions in Panama in need of period products and resources as well as educational support. Through DTCare’s partnership with the Days for Girls Pittsburgh Chapter, we ensure girls and women understand their health needs and have access to reusable menstrual supplies. DTCare’s Blue Garden School offers a free curriculum for girls and literacy and sowing classes for women in the Monte Lirio region on an as-needed basis.
Learn more →
Goal 8: Decent Work

DTCare is creating quality jobs and providing education and training for women in Monte Lirio, Panama, with our Blue Garden Elementary School and community health clinic. To date, DTCare onboarded five women to manage clinic patient relations and needs, educate underprivileged children, and address malnutrition and hunger among school learners with healthy meals.
Learn more →
Goal 10: Reduced Inequality

DTCare is working to address disparities in access to quality education and healthcare in Panama through our education and community health initiatives in Monte Lirio to alleviate suffering and empower vulnerable populations.
Learn more →

Panama Operations

Promoting Wellbeing through Education, Women's Empowerment, and Community Health

DTCare’s Panama division is devoted to providing youth and women access to education, uplifting women through skill-building and training, and transporting and distributing prosthetics and disability aid to those who need it most. Our efforts are focused in Monte Lirio from our permanent regional clinic and office.

Monte Lirio Clinic

DTCare is committed to making healthcare more accessible and affordable to the residents of Monte Lirio, Panama, through medical supply and mobility aid collection and distribution.

Our clinic in Monte Lirio works to make medical support services and supplies more obtainable to marginalized communities living in remote, rural areas of Panama.

A small class of children learning about numbers by completing their worksheets. — Blue Garden Elementary and Pre-School

Every child has a right to education. DTCare’s elementary and pre-school gives underprivileged children the opportunity of receiving a quality education and a chance at a brighter future. We stand for promoting and facilitating equal access to education for all children, regardless of gender, nationality, or financial status.

Our school is open all year around and gives children who otherwise would not have had the opportunity that chance to learn. We have two full-time teachers and one part-time teacher that help the children learn multiple subjects a day. The main curriculum covers math, Spanish language arts, English, science, and nutrition. In addition, Daniel and the teachers take the children on numerous field trips to learn about their own community and environment.

Medical & Humanitarian Aid

Having clothes that fit, a fresh pair of shoes, and a cozy bed to sleep in can make a huge difference for someone who has to make do with less. This is why DTCare goes above and beyond in our efforts to provide more than just the basic necessities.

At DTCare, our relief efforts prioritize meeting essential needs while also providing non-essential items that enhance the quality of life for disadvantaged communities. Our focus is on helping women, children, indigenous groups, and individuals with disabilities and their families by providing critical humanitarian aid and support.

Fighting Food Insecurity and Malnutrition

The school gardening and meal initiative reduces food insecurity among the school's learners. The provision of nutritious meals to learners promotes healthy growth, development, and learning.

Food insecurity not only causes severe suffering and has adverse effects on a child’s health and development, but hunger also impacts learning. Undernourishment hinders a child’s ability to focus and retain information; curbing food insecurity is critical to enabling children to learn effectively.

Community Health Initiatives

DTCare identified the need to expand our current programs to better address the Monte Lirio community’s health needs and well-being. We are partnering with Days for Girls, the Floating Doctors, and local clinics to make critically needed supplies and support more accessible.

Through our partnerships with Days for Girls, the Floating Doctors, and community organizations, DTCare has provided hundreds of feminine hygiene packs with reusable pads, mobility and disability aids, and specialist care to underprivileged men, women, and children in Monte Lirio.

Women’s Empowerment and Community Building

DTCare identified the need to expand our current programs to better address the Monte Lirio community’s health needs and well-being. Our initiatives are focused on aiding underserved communities, especially women and children in Monte Lirio.

DTCare is working to empower the women in the Monte Lirio community through training initiatives, menstrual care support, and adult literacy classes. Our aim is to encourage the local community to learn practical skills that enable them to earn a reliable income and build a life for themselves and their dependents.

Migrant Worker Aid in Costa Rica

Migrating to another country to pursue a better life can be tumultuous, daunting, and emotionally demanding. DTCare is determined to aid those on the move to ensure they can do it comfortably and carry certain items that will help them maintain their personal hygiene along their journey.

With the generous support of our donors and volunteers, we have distributed much-needed hygiene kits and other essential items on the border of Panama and Costa Rica, where thousands of migrants pass through each year. Through this effort, DTCare hopes to empower migrants in their journey to find a better life for their families while maintaining basic hygiene.

See what we’re up to in Panama, follow DTCare Panamá on Instagram.