Ron Pope School

Dr. Bob Borland Memorial Dental Clinic

Phil and Ruth Marsteller’s dream has been to enrich the lives of the native people of the Amazon. Their vision was to make a difference that went beyond handouts to actually changing people’s lives for the better. Today, the Foundation’s Clyde Gibson and Bob Borland clinics provide medical services for people who have never seen a doctor and dental care to those who have never owned a toothbrush.

The Ron Pope School educates the children of the region and teaches them English, the language of tourism in the Amazon. In addition, The Foundation’s Research Center promotes a ban on commercial fishing that threatens the fishery and conducts research on peacock bass and carbon dioxide emissions in the Rainforest. The mission – give the people of the Upper Rio Negro hope for a brighter future.

The Foundation’s Ron Pope School provides local native children with classrooms,
a basic library of Portuguese literature and dictionaries, a kitchen for lunch preparation and playground equipment including volleyball and soccer nets.

The Foundation’s Dr. Bob Borland Memorial Dental Clinic provides complete x-ray and dental care for native villagers.