Perry Médico
About/Mission Statement – Perry Médico’s mission is to provide medical aid to the municipality of Yamasá, Dominican Republic and its encompassing communities. Ongoing services include support for local medical professionals, medication, health education, hearing devices, and follow-up care.
Yamasá
Yamasá is located in Monte Plata province in central Dominican Republic, about an hour’s drive north of the capital city of Santo Domingo. It is surrounded by mountains, rivers, streams, and lush vegetation. This fertile land is home to a large rural, agricultural community made up of warm-hearted Dominicans, and Haitians whose families came to the country seeking a better life.
— Fiala Mom & Baby Program
— Ben Wilson Baseball Program
— Keon Medical Program
— Gift of Hearing Audiology Program
History
The beginnings of Perry Médico took root over 35 years ago. Roger Perry was a high school teacher in Pembroke, Ontario who, facilitated by the Grey Sisters, began a relationship between his school and a school in Yamasá. Trips were organized to Yamasá where a small group of high school students visited their “sister school” on an annual basis. Upon retirement, Roger felt the need to do more for the people of Yamasá. A lack of basic medications and limited access to medical services became top priorities moving forward. Together with parents of past students who had witnessed these medical deprivations first hand, Roger started a new endeavour … to bring additional healthcare to Yamasá and its surrounding communities. His grassroots movement became a formal charity in 2012, called Friends for Life International. Sadly, Roger Perry passed away in January of 2023.
To honour the charity’s founder, and to better describe its mandate and mission, the name of the charity was changed to Perry Médico. The charity, though small, makes a big impact in the lives of those living in and around Yamasá by passing on 100% of all donations. Its dedicated volunteers have expanded its outreach programs beyond medicine to include hearing devices, health education, and physical activity.
