Jesús Dongo

Founder and President, Vidawasi

Cuzco, Peru

After he and his five-year-old daughter survived a life-threatening accident, Jesús Dongo Avalo was inspired to start Vidawasi, a nonprofit organization seeking to bring top-tier pediatric care to Peru’s remote Andean mountains. A lawyer and real-estate entrepreneur, Dongo’s grandest vision is Latin America’s first “health citadel” for children, a sprawling campus in Peru’s Sacred Valley where children and families receive free, comprehensive pediatric care. Strategically located in a remote region offering few medical services, the campus provides housing and other social supports for families seeking care, and Dongo hopes it will become a locus for global collaborators. In the past year, DGHI’s Ernesto Ortiz has organized four projects for students to learn and participate in research through Vidawasi, and he is exploring future collaborations at the campus, which may include clinical training and research to enhance delivery of specialized services such as pediatric surgery and cancer care.

I am working to change

…access to specialized pediatric healthcare in Peru. Currently, 90 percent of specialized pediatric services are available only in Lima, Peru’s capital city. My goal is to save lives by decentralizing these services, ensuring equal access for children in the high Andean regions of the country.

The biggest challenges we face

…include the need to establish management and efficiency practices so that we optimize national and international cooperation. There is an absence of a culture of solidarity, and we lack dedicated funding and assigned budgets. Consequently, it is urgent to consolidate sources of financing and sustainability to ensure the quality of our services.

Vidawasi offers unparalleled opportunities for global medical practice and social responsibility.

Partnering with DGHI helps us

This collaboration allows us to expand community health services, conduct essential research, and empower our healthcare professionals through high standards of practice and training. Additionally, DGHI provides strategic support to enhance our social impact, ensuring the sustainability and effectiveness of our services. This partnership is crucial for advancing our mission to create comprehensive and complementary healthcare services for children in the high Andean regions of Peru.

It’s important for our partners to

…join us! Our allies’ support is crucial in establishing programs that incentivize healthcare professionals to join our efforts in Cuzco. We have full support of the Peruvian state, ensuring the legal and social legitimacy of our collaborative efforts. Vidawasi offers unparalleled opportunities for global medical practice and social responsibility, and our strategic location in Cuzco, amidst the breathtaking scenery of the Sacred Valley, embodies our spirit of transformative impact.

I am inspired by

…the opportunity to consolidate a child health program that brings hope and opportunity to thousands of lives, and to invite our allies to be part of a legacy for humanity that unites talents from around the world.

In five years, I hope

…Vidawasi will become the primary hub for decentralizing pediatric healthcare services in our country. We aim to be a benchmark in South America for specialized pediatric care and high-complexity surgeries, while also serving as a platform for education, training, and research benefiting the high Andean children of Peru. Our partnerships will play a crucial role in achieving these goals by providing support, expertise, and resources necessary to expand our impact and reach across the region.

Jesús Dongo Avalo Founder and President, Vidawasi Cuzco, Peru After he and his five-year-old daughter survived a life-threatening accident, Jesús Dongo Avalo was inspired to start Vidawasi, a nonprofit organization seeking to bring top-tier pediatric care to Peru’s remote Andean mountains. A lawyer and real-estate entrepreneur, Dongo’s grandest vision is Latin America’s first “health citadel” for children, a sprawling campus in Peru’s Sacred Valley where children and families receive free, comprehensive pediatric care. Strategically located in a remote region offering few medical services, the campus provides housing and other social supports for families seeking care, and Dongo hopes it will become a locus for global collaborators. Earlier this year, Vidawasi signed an agreement with Duke to explore collaborations at the campus, which may include clinical training and research to enhance delivery of specialized services such as pediatric surgery and cancer care. I am working to change … … access to specialized pediatric healthcare in Peru. Currently, 90 percent of specialized pediatric services are available only in Lima, Peru’s capital city. My goal is to save lives by decentralizing these services, ensuring equal access for children in the high Andean regions of the country. The biggest challenges we face … … include the need to establish management and efficiency practices so that we optimize national and international cooperation. There is an absence of a culture of solidarity, and we lack dedicated funding and assigned budgets. Consequently, it is urgent to consolidate sources of financing and sustainability to ensure the quality of our services. Partnering with DGHI helps us … This collaboration allows us to expand community health services, conduct essential research, and empower our healthcare professionals through high standards of practice and training. Additionally, DGHI provides strategic support to enhance our social impact, ensuring the sustainability and effectiveness of our services. This partnership is crucial for advancing our mission to create comprehensive and complementary healthcare services for children in the high Andean regions of Peru. It’s important for our partners to … … join us! Our allies’ support is crucial in establishing programs that incentivize healthcare professionals to join our efforts in Cuzco. We have full support of the Peruvian state, ensuring the legal and social legitimacy of our collaborative efforts. Vidawasi offers unparalleled opportunities for global medical practice and social responsibility, and our strategic location in Cuzco, amidst the breathtaking scenery of the Sacred Valley, embodies our spirit of transformative impact. I am inspired by … … the opportunity to consolidate a child health program that brings hope and opportunity to thousands of lives, and to invite our allies to be part of a legacy for humanity that unites talents from around the world. In five years, I hope … … Vidawasi will become the primary hub for decentralizing pediatric healthcare services in our country. We aim to be a benchmark in South America for specialized pediatric care and high-complexity surgeries, while also serving as a platform for education, training, and research benefiting the high Andean children of Peru. Our partnerships will play a crucial role in achieving these goals by providing support, expertise, and resources necessary to expand our impact and reach across the region.

DGHI Impact Report — 2023-2024