Team Heart 2026

Team Heart Brings Health, Hope, and Lasting Change to Communities Across Guatemala

Every International Esperanza Project team leaves a lasting impact, and Team Heart was no exception. Throughout the week, volunteers partnered with local communities across Guatemala to improve health, strengthen homes, and create opportunities for healthier futures.

Serving communities through our Homes and Health programs, Team Heart worked alongside local leaders, healthcare professionals, and families to meet immediate needs while creating lasting change.

Impacting Health

Access to quality healthcare can change the course of a person's life, and Team Heart helped make that possible for hundreds of individuals.

Our medical clinic served 535 patients, providing consultations, medications, health education, and compassionate care. For many patients, this was their first opportunity to receive medical attention for ongoing health concerns.

In addition to the clinic, our surgical team performed 49 life changing procedures, restoring health and improving quality of life for patients who had often waited months, or even years, for specialized care. Each surgery represented more than a medical procedure. It meant renewed confidence, restored mobility, relief from pain, and the opportunity to move forward with greater hope.

Impacting Homes

A healthy home creates the foundation for a healthier family.

Throughout the week, Team Heart partnered with 85 families to install smoke free stoves and water filters, helping create safer, healthier living environments.

Traditional open fire cooking exposes families to harmful household smoke every day. By replacing open fires with smoke free stoves and providing access to clean drinking water, families now benefit from cleaner air, safer kitchens, reduced firewood consumption, and improved overall health.

Creating Lasting Impact

The impact of Team Heart extends far beyond the numbers.

Every patient cared for, every surgery performed, and every smoke free stove and water filter installed represents a family with new opportunities to live healthier lives. These moments of service strengthen communities today while creating lasting benefits for future generations.

None of this would have been possible without the dedication, compassion, and generosity of Team Heart. Their willingness to serve alongside local communities has created meaningful change that will continue long after the team has returned home.

Thank you, Team Heart, for helping strengthen communities from the inside, out. Your commitment to serving others has made a lasting difference in the lives of the families and communities you touched.