Brazilian Amazon 2025 – This trip is full! Please apply to join the waitlist.

The cost of this trip for each volunteer is tax deductible donation of $1700.00.  You are responsible for all costs outside of the official trip dates including your hotels and expenses in Manaus.  

PLEASE NOTE:  This trip requires a minimum of 11 volunteers.  In order to make this feasible for GFR, we require a good-faith deposit of $250.00 with your application.  If the GFR trip is not canceled, and you choose to not join the team on the trip for any reason, your deposit is considered non-refundable and will be deemed a donation to GFR at that time.  This donation is fully tax-deductible.  

About the trip:

The Brazilian Amazon is home to many remote communities in need of medical care.  At Global First Responder, we strive to provide sustainable care in communities that are difficult to access and where care is limited.  The Amazon, and the indigenous farmers, hunters, woodworkers, and boatmen who live there,  is currently under great threat from large corporation farms and ranches, mining, logging and climate change.  More than 47 million people live in the Amazon today, including 2.2 million indigenous people, and more than 300 languages are spoken there.

The health of the communities in the Amazon are also under threat.  Deforestation has contributed to more than 10,000 cases of malaria and viral illnesses Fires, resulting from unchecked deforestation since 2019, have added to the problem of respiratory illnesses and increasing infant mortality, hospitalizations, and decreasing life expectancy in the elderly. This problem is compounded further by drought decreasing the already limited access to clean water and small farm agriculture.  Mosquito-borne illness (malaria, dengue, chikungunya, and more), chronic disease (hypertension, diabetes, and mental illness), and sanitation-related illnesses will be addressed during this visit.

Sustainability:  On this trip, we will provide medical and dental care and health education for our patients.  Training and supplies for community health care workers will make a sustainable difference in the overall health of the community.  We will also do site surveys to determine the feasibility of placing a permanent water filtration system and bleach-making business in an underserved area where clean water will dramatically increase the health of the community. GFR will continue our focus on maternal and neonatal/infant mortality reduction by with professional education for certified and volunteer midwives, community health workers, and parents.  Our local partner will ensure the continuity of our work.  

GFR has a long history of building and repairing schools, clinics, and community centers in areas where we provide care, as well as placing permanent drinking water treatment facilities in communities that have great need.  In 2022, we built a school in the Peruvian Amazon, and in 2023 we built a community center and orphanage in Liberia, in addition to completing the installation of water purification systems in India, Uganda, and Zambia. In 2024, we installed new water treatment facilities in Zambia and India and built a new community center in the Peruvian Amazon.

Trip Highlights: 

Your team will live and travel on a large river boat, sleeping in hammocks on the deck each night (in air-conditioned comfort) and eating home-made meals each day.  Our first day will be steaming on the river to our furthest point while we organize supplies and learn about the Amazon and each other.  Our translator team is among the most experienced on the river and all of our medical and dental professionals will have a dedicated translator for the trip.   

So much adventure awaits: outdoor showers on the stern (indoor showers available), fishing off the boat, viewing pink dolphins (yes, they are pink!) as they play off the boat, watching toucans and parrots and hundreds of other birds, and of course, walking each day from our boat to a small village to provide medical and dental care and education.  As we walk through the village, children will come out to your hold your hand, creating a parade of its own making!

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT PHYSICAL CONDITIONS:  You will be expected to walk on uneven footing and walk on narrow ramps up and down for entry to the boats, carrying your gear. While our support team will help you, you need to understand that this is a requirement for this trip.  Our team will travel to clinics each day by walking.  

March is the end of rainy season!  Please make sure you have a heavy duty rain poncho suitable for wearing while you work.  Some clinics will be outdoors, under large trees so please be prepared with a hat, sunscreen, and mosquito spray.

Arrivals and Departures for the Medical/Dental Team:  Plan to arrive in Manaus, Brazil (airport code: MAO) no later than March 15, 2025.  Your hotel and food is on your own.  Our team will board our boat early morning on Sunday, March 16, 2025.  March 16 is the official start date of the trip.  Your team will meet at location and time to be announced on March 16.

The official ending date of the team is March 21 upon arrival in Manaus.  Departures from Manaus may be scheduled late night on March 21  or March 22 and later.  Your hotel and meals in Manaus are on your own.

What’s Included: This trip includes lodging, transportation, translators, water, and all meals within the official dates of the trip (March 16, 2025 – March 21, 2025).  Most clinic supplies and any special projects are covered by GFR.  As with every GFR trip, your cost for this trip is exactly what the boat operator is charging GFR + $100.  We are an all-volunteer organization and everyone, including your team leader, pays their own way.  

What’s Not Included: Your international and local airfare, snacks and drinks other than water, personal vaccines, and pre/post trip travel costs and expenses, trip insurance, and any post-trip adventures you wish to engage in while in the Brazilian Amazon.  Brazil REQUIRES a valid visa or E-Visa to enter Brazil, good for 90 days.  Other nationalities should research visa requirements accordingly.

Cost: The cost of this trip is $1700.00 per person plus airfare.  You are responsible for purchasing airfare that meets the required arrival and departure times.  We always suggest giving yourself extra time for delayed or canceled flights and that you purchase trip insurance from a reputable carrier.  This trip is tax deductible to the full extent of the law.  You or your donors will receive a tax receipt upon making a donation. Please note: All donations made on your behalf through the application system or the Global First Responder website are non-refundable to you.  Any funds that you or your donors donate will be 100% utilized for patient care or projects directly benefiting our partner communities.  

How is your cost calculated?: At Global First Responder we strive to keep your costs low and our quality high.   We value your participation and willingness to volunteer your time and expertise. Everyone at Global First Responder is also a volunteer, donating their time to administrative tasks and paying their own way to participate in medical and construction missions around the world and here at home.  The fee you pay covers the actual cost of your expenses in country including lodging, transportation, meals, and translator fees and expenses and a small fee (<$150.00) for a share of medications and supplies so we can continue to offer high quality care and medications to our patients.  At GFR, no one is paid a salary, and everyone is a passionate volunteer, doing our part to help drive our mission of “One Global World, One Global Family”.

After the trip:  There is so much to do in Brazil that it is hard for us to choose what to highlight for you! In Manaus – the natural beauty of the area is unparalleled, with beautiful beaches, amazing eco-lodges, fantastic fishing. The city is beautiful and historical, there are fantastic waterfalls, and the birdwatching is unparalleled.  

Click here to apply for this trip:  I want to join the GFR team in the Brazilian Amazon!          

Please save the login and password for your application as you will need to use the dashboard the application creates as you prepare for the trip.               

Sample Itinerary: 

PRIOR TO March 16, 2025:  Arriving a day or two ahead is a great way to rest up from your long flight, explore Manaus, and find and meet your new teammates!  You need to be in Manaus by March 15 for an early departure on March 16!

March 16, 2025: You will be picked up at the host hotel (TBD) and will board the boat at a time TBD.  Your first team building activity will be carrying all of our supplies on to the boat!!  As the boat steams down (or up!) the Amazon, you and your team will sort meds, look at the community education materials, and get to know each other.  Lunch and dinner are included today, along with a hammock and a great time. 

March 17 – 21, 2025: Your team will have clinic for the next 5 days in different locations along the river. Each day will be different, interesting, and busy. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are included from March 17 – 20.  Breakfast and lunch are included on March 21.  Your hotel and dinner on March 21 are not included in the trip fee.  You may depart on a late night flight (after 9pm local time) or you may choose to stay longer.