In the heart of the Brazilian Amazon, where the roads end and only waterways remain, lie the communities of Calama, Nazaré, and São Carlos. To get there, you need to take a long flight and then a 17-hour boat ride – and that’s only if the conditions are good. Here, residents have seriously limited access to healthcare, and many people have to wait months for an examination or treatment. In early May, the “Barco Ciência & Saúde” expedition set out to change that. The project – organized by Afya, part of the Bertelsmann Education Group – brought students, instructors, professionals, and volunteers from various disciplines to the region. For four days, they worked, provided consultation, treated and helped people on site.
Wide range of services – from healthcare to education
The range of services offered was diverse: nursing, general medical care, physiotherapy, dentistry, ophthalmology, speech therapy, psychology, biomedicine, and cosmetic treatments, as well as consultations on nutrition, legal matters, sports, construction, and engineering. Guided by their instructors, the students performed treatments, explained diagnoses, gave nutrition advice, or assisted with physical therapy exercises.
Ophthalmological care was particularly important: Many residents had been waiting for an eye exam for more than six months. Afya brought along special equipment to test their vision. Those who needed glasses were able to choose a suitable frame model right away – the finished glasses will be delivered to the communities later.
Tangible results
According to Afya, a total of 2,105 treatments and procedures were performed. In addition, the team distributed 17 food packages, 40 toys, 40 hygiene kits, and a shower chair. These small gestures had a big impact: for families, food packages provided relief in terms of food supply; for children, toys were a rare luxury, and the shower chair brought greater independence in daily life for the elderly or individuals with a disability.
Raphael Freire, sustainability communications specialist at Afya, documented the entire mission. “It’s all about facing real challenges and seeing what a difference missions like these can make,” he said. From early breakfast to unloading medical equipment to the long afternoons filled with examinations, many moments were captured on video. The journey itself was a challenge for the team: hours of flying, followed by a long boat ride through dense forests and vast river landscapes.
Community and hospitality
In addition to the healthcare, the personal encounters made the mission a very special experience. The residents welcomed the team with open arms, showing their hospitality and trust. “Each of these missions strengthens our commitment to the riverine communities and demonstrates how science, education, and healthcare can go hand in hand. The ‘Barco Ciência & Saúde’ not only brings treatment and knowledge, but also hope and a perspective to people who are otherwise often forgotten,” the team concluded.
Since its launch in February, “Bertelsmann Global Voices” has regularly provided insights into international projects and viewpoints across the Group – from media and entertainment to logistics, education, and investments. The videos are published via Bertelsmann’s central social media channels and reach an international audience. Together, the clips shared across Bertelsmann’s social media channels have already generated more than two million views. More editions are already planned.
