Esperança, the Portuguese word for hope, is a registered

501(c)(3) A 501(c)(3) organization is a United States corporation, Trust (business), trust, unincorporated association or other type of organization exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of Title 26 of the United States Code. It is one of ...

based in

Phoenix, Arizona Phoenix ( ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital and List of cities and towns in Arizona#List of cities and towns, most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona. With over 1.6 million residents at the 2020 census, it is the ...

, United States. Founded in 1970 by Luke and Gerald Tupper. It currently operates programs in

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

Nicaragua Nicaragua, officially the Republic of Nicaragua, is the geographically largest Sovereign state, country in Central America, comprising . With a population of 7,142,529 as of 2024, it is the third-most populous country in Central America aft ...

Bolivia Bolivia, officially the Plurinational State of Bolivia, is a landlocked country located in central South America. The country features diverse geography, including vast Amazonian plains, tropical lowlands, mountains, the Gran Chaco Province, w ...

Peru Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the south and west by the Pac ...

Mozambique Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique, is a country located in Southeast Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west, and Eswatini and South Afr ...

and Phoenix, Arizona.

History

James Tupper, a recent graduate from the

Medical College of Wisconsin The Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW) is a private medical school, pharmacy school, and graduate school of sciences in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. The school was established in 1893 and is the largest research center in eastern Wisconsi ...

, got his first look at medical deprivation and poverty in 1960 while traveling to

Antarctica Antarctica () is Earth's southernmost and least-populated continent. Situated almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle and surrounded by the Southern Ocean (also known as the Antarctic Ocean), it contains the geographic South Pole. ...

aboard a U.S. Navy ice-breaker. The ship docked in

Brazil Brazil, officially the Federative Republic of Brazil, is the largest country in South America. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by area, fifth-largest country by area and the List of countries and dependencies by population ...

. It was here where James was struck by those suffering from treatable diseases. When his military service was completed, he entered the

Franciscan The Franciscans are a group of related organizations in the Catholic Church, founded or inspired by the Italian saint Francis of Assisi. They include three independent Religious institute, religious orders for men (the Order of Friars Minor bei ...

Order. He chose the name Luke to reflect his dedication to serving those in need with his medical expertise. Luke Tupper's brother, Gerald Tupper, was a lawyer in Phoenix and formally incorporated Esperança into a non-profit in 1970. For the first 15 years Esperança operated out of a room in Gerald's law office. Esperança moved to its permanent central Phoenix location in 1985.

Project areas

Volunteer surgical program

Medical missions are one of the focuses of Esperança. Due to his training in the medical field, Luke Tupper focused on providing medical services to those in need. In 1972 Esperança purchased the Point Loma Ferry. The ship was originally used for transporting passengers to and from Southern California's Coronado Island. Esperanca relocated the vessel to

and it became a floating hospital providing treatment to the underserved. Parts of the USS ''Bunker Hill'' (CV-17), a decommissioned aircraft carrier, were donated in order to convert the ship into a floating hospital. The surgical program expanded into Bolivia in 1985 and terminated the program in 2014, once the native partner organization was self-sustaining. Currently, the surgical program operates in

and

. Medical professionals volunteer their time to provide surgeries to communities in need. Volunteer surgeons, anesthesiologists, and nurses procure their own medical supplies, as well as accommodate their own airfare and volunteer their time to fly through the night and provide lifesaving surgery. Each volunteer surgical team travels approximately ten days, accomplishes between 25 and 45 surgeries, and can evaluate hundreds to be referred for other medical treatments

Medical supplies

Esperança's Medical Supply Donation program delivers three cargo containers per year, carrying medical donations to under-resourced hospitals, clinics, and community health centers in Jinotega, Nicaragua - one of the most impoverished areas in Central America. Esperança's on-site assessment process ensures that every container delivered will meet specific needs of the recipient hospital or clinic, equipping the medical staff with life-saving tools to improve diagnosis, treatment, and care. Supplies are then used by their volunteer surgical teams on their mission trips. Each year, nearly 600 individuals, organizations, and corporations donate unused or gently used medical supplies and medical equipment that Esperança delivers to Nicaragua to support the severely resource- challenged communities to save lives, make diagnoses, and provide lifesaving surgeries. These supplies and equipment are essential to ensure that Esperança's partnering hospitals and clinics are equipped throughout the year with tools to transform lives.

Phoenix Program

The Phoenix Program began in 1999 and currently provides health education on oral health, nutrition, fitness, and chronic disease management to uninsured and under-insured children and families. Families are also referred to low-cost health resources and services. Education for adults includes evidence based curriculum informing community members on how to prepare healthy culturally appropriate meals. In addition, a similar curriculum is in development for elementary aged children. Esperança's work in Phoenix provides Promotores (Community Health Workers) opportunities to exchange information, share best practices and build skills. Salud con Sabor Latino (Health with a Latin Flavor) works to connect a network of Promotores and expand leadership opportunities for community members.

Water and sanitation

Recent water and sanitation projects have been developed with the assistance of the Ira A. Fulton Schools of Engineering. Communities are built around access to clean water through community wells, water systems and latrines. Each benefiting family participates in the construction of their water system, which in turn creates a personal ownership connection towards improving their health.

Nutrition and food security

In 1977 Esperança moved from a curative approach to a preventive model of treatment. The program originated in

and focused on nutrition, including education for mothers as well as recording the weight of their preschool aged children. The program has since expanded to

, and

. Esperança invests in education and food-related micro-business that directly provide adequate sources of nutrition while simultaneously yielding profit from excess eggs, milk, grain, livestock, and crops. These profits are often used to purchase additional food, replace the mud walls of homes, send children to school, gain access to clean water, or obtain needed medical care. The following 2016 outcomes are notable in improving food security: * 1,763 agricultural producers received training to increase and expand crop yield * 122,576 pounds of food were distributed to 4,280 individuals * 845 heads of households attended training on nutrition and improving their diets.

Disease prevention and treatment

Esperança is currently working on the prevention and treatment of

Chagas disease Chagas disease, also known as American trypanosomiasis, is a tropical parasitic disease caused by ''Trypanosoma cruzi''. It is spread mostly by insects in the subfamily Triatominae, known as "kissing bugs". The symptoms change throughout the ...

in Bolivia.

Financial accountability

Esperança currently has a four star rating by

Charity Navigator Charity Navigator is a charity assessment organization that evaluates more than 230,000 charitable organizations based in the United States, operating as a 501(c)(3) organization. It provides insights into a nonprofit's financial stability, adh ...

. The organization is currently funded through a combination of grants from private foundations and individual contributions. The

United States Agency for International Development The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) is an agency of the United States government that has been responsible for administering civilian foreign aid and development assistance. Established in 1961 and reorganized in 1998 ...

has also supported past projects.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Esperanca (non-profit) Organizations established in 1970 Health charities in the United States Charities based in Arizona Foreign charities operating in Nicaragua Foreign charities operating in Peru Medical and health organizations based in Arizona