Argentina University Partners With Loma Linda Students to Serve Others

Students from River Plate University in Argentina (UAP) and Loma Linda University (LLU) in the United States, together with volunteers from a local charity, recently ran an intensive health and community outreach initiative. The joint project benefited several neighborhoods in Concepción del Uruguay, Entre Rios, a few hours from the school campus in Argentina.

The initiative combined community education initiatives, basic health checks, prevention activities, and community support, with the purpose of bringing the university closer to society and strengthening the training skills of future professionals. According to organizers, it included first aid workshops in primary and secondary schools, talks to promote healthy habits and addiction prevention activities. Students also made house-to-house visits during which they shared healthy snacks, handed out instructional brochures, and offered checkups such as blood pressure and blood glucose measurements.

Serving the Community

The program also included delivering bags of healthy food to families in need and repairing and fixing of the hall of Villa Las Lomas Adventist Church, which serves as a community center. Overall, more than 800 people benefited from the initiative, including community residents and school students.

The delegation of 23 students from LLU traveled to join UAP students for the initiative. Their participation was key in the organization of workshops, medical checkups, and recreational activities for children and young people, organizers said.

For Ed Drachenberg, director of the Students for International Mission Service at Loma Linda University, the experience was transformative. “Every year we send students to different countries, and seeing how the Argentinian community opened its doors to us was very special. Not only did we serve families, but our students also returned enriched personally, academically, and spiritually,” he said.

UAP nursing professor Ruth Erfurth and Brigitte Marsollier, in charge of Research and Mental Health, spent the week with the students. They highlighted the pedagogical value of these initiatives. “Nursing is not only hospital care but also education, prevention, and community management,” they said.

According to organizers, the initiative sought to “help students broaden their vision of the profession and understand the importance of connecting to other cultures.” For Francisco Berger, head of logistics for LLU, the experience also strengthened the relationship between UAP and the local community. “It’s not easy to move 60 people around for days, but thanks to the collaboration of UAP, government officials, and the local church, everything worked out well. In the end, seeing people’s gratitude was our greatest reward.”

At the closing of the project, both students and teachers agreed that the initiative made a tangible impact in the community and served to confirm students and professionals on their mission. “It reaffirmed the conviction that the university is not only a space for academic training but also for social engagement, empathy, and charitable volunteer service.

The original version of this story was posted on the South American Division Spanish-language news site.