Project 2001 - 2002 Our foundation's first project was to finance the construction and equipment of a primary care medical polyclinic in Manchay, a recent town about 20 miles southeast of Lima, Peru.  Manchay's more than 50,000 inhabitants are mainly indigenous displaced families from the Sierra who relocated to the arrid sand and stone quarry Manchay area without

runnning water, sewage systems or paved roads.  Manchay is expected to grow in size to 200,000 people within five years!   The Manchay polyclinic is now the zone's main provider of general and pediatric medicine, obstetrics and gynecological services, minor and emergency surgery procedures and dental care (primarily for children).  The clinic also houses a modern pharmacy, which dispenses medicines and healthcare items at very low prices.  Ambulatory medical services to neighboring communities are in effect, as are permanent health awareness and disease prevention educational programs coordinated with local Espiritu Santo parish.  All services are offered at very little cost to the user.  Much of the construction labor was offered by community volunteers at no cost.  The clinic is being managed and maintained by Caritas of the Archdiocese of Lima with fulltime service and medical archdiocese employees and through arrangements  with medical contract personnel (doctors)  from the Peruvian Ministry of Public Health.   Policlinico "Carlos Hedreen" was named in memory of one of Peru's modern fishing industry pioneers from Seattle, Washington, whose family's very generous financial contribution made this humanitarian project possible.  The clinic was inaugurated on June 24, 2003, in a ceremony  attended by the Archbishop of Lima, Juan Luis Cardinal Cipriani, representatives of the U.S. Embassy, the Peruvian Consul of Seattle,  DirectRelief International of Santa Barbara, California, Philips Medical Systems of Seattle,  officials of the Peruvian Ministry of Public Health, and The American School of Lima, Peru.  Several thousand people from the local communities -  including hundreds of children -  made this a truly festive occasion."