This July, after nearly 10 years, I am returning to the dusty and sunburnt streets of Rurrenabaque, Bolivia to volunteer with the Rio Beni Health Foundation!The Rio Beni Health Foundation was started by Dr. Lou Netzer, a doctor from my home town of Los Olivos, CA. What began as a small health iniative in the Beni Region of Bolivia, has grown immensely. On an ongoing basis, the Foundation delivers primary health care, health education, training, and potable water to over 60 villages and indigenous families living in the upper Amazon rain forest in northwestern Bolivia. Bolivia is one of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere. Nearly 70% of Bolivians do not have adequate access to health care, and this number greatly increases in the isolated Upper Amazon basin. This has been a major factor in the country having the second highest infant and child mortality rates in the Americas.When I was 13 and in 8th grade, I began raising funds and awareness about The Rio Beni Health Foundation within my own community for a school project. The following year, at 14, I was fortunate enough to travel to Bolivia for the first time. While there we taught children how to properly brush their teeth by singing a song and dancing, we built bio-sand water filters for indigenous communities who had heavy metals and parasites in their water sources, and we travelled via hiking, boating, or 4-wheeling through the jungle to access the rural communities that so desperately require healthcare.After returning from Bolivia the first time, I felt an unwavering passion, committment, and dedication to the Foundation and the people of the Beni. Now, at 23, I have travelled to Bolivia twice, continued to bring awareness to the cause, and have raised approximately $30,000 for the project. I am so excited to be returning for a 3rd time this summer, and I am looking forward to the new experiences I am going to have, as this will be the first time I will be a licensed medical professional when working with the clinic.I am taking a month off from work to pursue my passion, and I would be so honored and grateful, for any support provided to help offset my own personal costs for the trip, however, you can also donate to the Rio Beni Health Foundation by following this link: ( http://www.netzerbrady.org/donatenow.html ). If you choose to donate to the foundation, 100% of the donations go directly into purchasing equipment, medical supplies, water filters, education materials, and any other necessary items to keep the clinic running smoothly.To learn more about the Foundation please visit: http://www.netzerbrady.org/home.htm , or feel free to ask me anything.Please help me meet my goal, and achieve my dream of returning to a place and a people that I share my heart with. The Rio Beni Health Foundation sparked my passion for medicine, and for giving back to communities in need. It is my hope that I can now inspire others to learn, grow, and make a difference as well.To the journey...to awareness.