About Us

Mission

PACH’s mission is to foster sustainable health care systems and communities in Andean Ecuador by providing education, resources, and enduring solutions, along with global partners, to improve Andean community health and wellbeing.

Vision

PACH envisions thriving and healthy Andean communities.

Values

We value the unique culture and tradition of the communities and individuals that we serve and the diverse backgrounds of our volunteers and partners. Our core values are compassion, generosity, and professional excellence in health care.

Where We Work

The Andes

Chimborazo Province is an area of unique interest and great need. The population is largely indigenous with a unique culture in terms of language, religion, family and social structure, work, music, and dance. It is also an area of widespread poverty. Over 25% of the adult population of Ecuador has now fled, and many come from this area. Many children are left behind with other family or friends or abandoned. Child trafficking is a significant risk to these children, as is malnutrition and lack of medical care. Other health risks include the widespread problem of water quality and sanitation. The economy is largely subsistence farming, families are often large and, because most children are born at home, there are high rates of infant mortality.

Why Ecuador?

63% of the indigenous population in Chimborazo Province live in extreme poverty.

28% of Ecuadorian children suffer from malnutrition.

Direct access to health care is limited.

Eye and dental care are even more scarce.

Respiratory illness is common due to the active volcano, Tungurahua.

Forced child labor and human trafficking affect the community.

Our Founder

“To use our economic freedom, our opportunity and our access to capital to succeed and generate wealth and then to share that wealth with others is, I believe, our highest and best use as Americans.”

– Paul Martel

Paul has been doing humanitarian work in Central and South America for over 15 years. He has organized 14 surgical missions to four countries including Ecuador, Colombia, Guatemala and Paraguay. With his wife, Terry, he has brought 9 children to the USA and his home to provide life changing surgeries such as open heart surgery. Paul is the Founder and President of YHB Investment Advisors located in West Hartford, Connecticut. For Paul, the work of PACH and its clinic in Ecuador (FIBUSPAM) is a dream come true, and he feels blessed to know and work with his talented and dedicated staff and the army of volunteers they work with.

 

“It is one thing to talk about compassion.  It is quite another to hold another person in your arms and know that you can make a difference in their life.”

Our Staff

Sarah Marjane

Sarah Marjane

Executive Director

Sarah is a passionate humanitarian and is truly dedicated to our mission. She believes that every child deserves health, education, and love and is committed to serving the poor. Sarah joined PACH (then FIBUSPAM) in 2015 and holds a Master’s degree in Public Health from Benedictine University and a bachelor’s degree in International Studies from the University of Scranton.

Prior to joining PACH, she served as a Senior Administrator at PATH, an Assistant Manager at CLUSA, and a Peace Corps Volunteer in Mozambique.

Zachary Smith

Zachary Smith

Operations Specialist

Zac began his journey in sustainable development in Ecuador in 2005 as a Peace Corps volunteer in Loja. This experience sparked a lifelong commitment to multi-dimensional initiatives in the region. With an MBA in Entrepreneurship and a Bachelor’s in Latin American Studies, Zac is now pursuing a PhD in Agroecology and Community Health, deepening his understanding of the intricate relationships between land, culture, and well-being in Ecuador’s rural landscapes.

Over the years, Zac has worked with various startups and initiatives in Ecuador and Guatemala, always prioritizing strong community partnerships. His expertise in economic development, social entrepreneurship, community health, and project management compliments a profound respect for local wisdom and traditional practices.

A pivotal moment in Zac’s career came during his first time working with PACH’s mobile medical clinics in Chimborazo Province. It was an unforgettable experience, reinforcing his commitment to innovative, locally driven healthcare solutions. Zac envisions a future where sustainable practices empower local leaders, creating lasting change that honors Ecuador’s rich cultural heritage.

India Olchefske

India Olchefske

Project Associate

India received her undergraduate degree from the University of Chicago, and her MPH from George Washington University. She has experience working in health policy at both the state and federal level specifically centered around maternal and mental health. In addition, she has worked for a variety of health-related non-profits and direct service organizations. Running tandem to her passion for public health is a passion for ballet.

 

 

Nathan Shaw

Nathan Shaw

Medical Missions Coordinator

Nathan is originally from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia.  After working two years for PriceWaterhouseCoopers auditing large corporations, he decided to join a yearlong volunteer program, Rostro de Cristo, which took him to Guayaquil, Ecuador. He lived and worked with six other recent graduates in ‘invasion communities’ on the outskirts of the city.  He then continued with the organization for almost two more years leading the immersion trip program and then as the in-country director. Today, he lives with his wife in Duran across the river from Guayaquil and splits his time between assisting local nonprofit organizations and online Business English teaching.  Since moving to Ecuador, he has embraced a simpler lifestyle and enjoys putzing around in his small patio garden.

 

 

Mimi Lucero

Mimi Lucero

Program Officer

A chakrawawa/seed keeper from the Isabela-San Cristobal/Galapagos islands and antisuyu territories, Mimi works as the recipient and advocate of generational birth knowledge informed by the tradition of Paju.  Her focuses include  food sovereignty, community organizing, and active land management practices, and to document the meaningful everyday contributions of indigenous agriculture and its role in rebuilding equitable food systems in cross-cultural spaces. She has a bachelor’s in peace justice & conflict studies and is currently completing a master’s in biology with a focus on global conservation from Miami University.

 

 

Clare Flanagan

Clare Flanagan

International Children's Program Manager

Clare holds an MPH in Global Health & Population from the Harvard School of Public Health and a BA in Government and Women’s & Gender Studies from Georgetown. She has a background in the implementation and management of research projects and previously worked on the endTB trial with Partners In Health. Based in Boston, she is currently working on cost-effectiveness research utilizing infectious disease modeling with a team at Mass General. She is really looking forward to working with the PACH group.

 

 

Charlene Higgins

Charlene Higgins

Fundraising & Development Manager

Charlene previously served as a Program Coordinator with PACH and has returned as a Fundraising & Development Manager.  Outside of PACH, Charlene works in higher education, where she advises and leads programs for international students and students from low-income, first-generation, and underrepresented backgrounds.  Prior to working in student affairs, Charlene also brings experience from the non-profit sector, where she managed community economic empowerment and career training programs, serving refugee farmers and adults with employment barriers re-entering the workforce. Charlene holds an MA in Community Development Policy & Practice from the University of New Hampshire. 

Charlene is dedicated to supporting mission-driven organizations and individual change-makers to build their capacity, progress toward their goals, and drive impact in their communities.

In-Country Staff

 

  • David Guacho – Executive Director
  • Olga Zapata – Senior Administrator and Inter Institutional Coordinator
  • Dr. Carlos Gonzalez – Ophthalmologist and Medical Director
  • Dr. Rodrigo Hinojosa – Family and Internal Medicine
  • Dr. Enrique Minta – General Surgeon and Pediatric Surgeon
  • Dr. Lenin Garcia – Dentist
  • Dr. Silkya Escobar – Dentist
  • Dr. Ricardo Delgado – Gynecologist
  • Dr. Franklin Baltodano – Pediatrician
  • Dr. Gabriela Perez – ENT
  • Dr. Indira Pineda – Internal Medicine
  • Dr. Freddy Barcenas – Internal Medicine
  • Dr. Jose Angél Cruz – Plastic Surgeon
  • Dr. Jorge Sague – Urologist
  • Dr. Jorge Valdez – Dermatologist
  • Dr. Damaris Rodriguez – Gastrointerologist
  • Dr. Urbano Solis – Rheumatology
  • Dr. Juan Pérez – Angiologist and Vascular Surgeon
  • Marco Xavier Vallejo – Andean Medicine and Chiropractics
  • Adriana Guamán – Registered Dietician and Administrator
  • Karen Piaun – Pharmacist and Biochemist
  • Ana Lema – Surgical and Auxiliary Nurse
  • Jimena Paca – Surgical Nurse
  • Petrona Pilamunga – Auxiliary Nurse
  • Wilson Guacho – Logistics

FIBUSPAM Ecuador’s Founding Members

The following 10 individuals bring a wide range of talent to our Foundation. All are dedicated, experienced humanitarians with a deep commitment to helping needy children.

 

  • Paul R. Martel, Founder, Connecticut, USA
  • Lic. David Guacho, Director, Riobamba, Ecuador
  • Dr. Lenin Garcia, Guayaquil, Ecuador
  • Dr. Enrique Minta, Riobamba, Ecuador
  • B.F. Cecilia Toaquiza, Riobamba, Ecuador
  • Olga Zapata, Guayaquil, Ecuador
  • Luis Villa, Riobamba, Ecuador
  • Lindsay C. Buckner, New York, USA

PACH, Inc. Board Members

Paul Martel

President

Dr. Marti Bornstien

Vice President

Janis Jerman

Treasurer

Dr. Sila Bal

Secretary

David Khorram

John Herd

Nausheen Iqbal

Dr. Lori Shapiro

Jaclyn Tyne