The Chiapas Project seeks to provide free medical and dental care to the indigenous Zoque people of the State of Chiapas, Mexico while encouraging volunteerism and personal growth amongst young people and medical/dental professionals. Please read more in the about us section.

We invite you to use this web site to learn more about The Chiapas Project and to see how you might become involved in our work.

The Chiapas Project began in 2001 by one family in New Jersey. The Project brings teams of medical and dental professionals, students, and adult helpers to a remote Zoque town in the southern Mexican state of Chiapas. Prior to the arrival of the volunteers of the Project, the 15,000 inhabitants of Ocotepec and the surrounding villages had no access to trained healthcare.

Twice each year since then, groups of volunteers travel each March and August to set up clinics and a pharmacy to meet the immediate needs of the community. Volunteers, each of whom pays their own way, have come from all over the United States, Canada, England, Chile, and Mexico.

The community of Ocotepec has agreed to give land for the construction of a full-time clinic. The Chiapas Project now moves towards its ultimate goal of providing care for chronic conditions, as opposed to only being able to treat acute illnesses, and teaching prevention, both medical and dental.

With this huge step forward comes a challange for the Project; obtaining funding for construction and staffing of the clinic. While the trained volunteers know how to provide care, none of us knows how to write grant proposals. We know that many foundations exist willing to support this effort. We simply do not know how to reach them with our story. If any readers of The Thing Magazine have such skills and are willing to give some time, The Chiapas Project, and the people of Ocotepec need the help. Please contact us at volunteer@chiapasproject.org.

The latest news:

[7/22/2007] August 2007 and March 2008 Trips Approaching!
With the August 2007 trip approaching in a few weeks, the dates for the March 2008 trip have been set.

• Saturday, 3/15/08 Arrive Tuxtla (TGZ) (Bienvenidos Dinner ~8 P.M.)
• Sunday, 3/16/08 Depart for Ocotepec ~10 A.M., set-up clinics
• Monday - Wednesday, 3/17-19/08 Clinics
• Thursday, 3/20/08 Put clinics stuff in storage, return to TGZ, afternoon free, Adios Dinner
• Friday, 3/21/08 Day at leisure
• Sunday, 3/22 Depart TGZ

[7/22/2007] New Mission Reports Posted
After a delay in posting mission reports from 2006 and 2007, the first updates are underway. Reports from the Ninth and the Twelfth missions have been posted, and reports from the Tenth and Eleventh missions will be posted shortly.