Ayuda International ยท Projects ahead
Ayuda is the nonprofit parent of a growing family of projects. The model we built in Panama, with clinics, coral reefs, mangroves and trees, is now reaching new islands.
The Tonga Project
EarthX brings people together, and every spring in Dallas it has brought Ayuda together with Tonga. Lord Fakafanua, now Tonga’s Prime Minister, heard Steve Bender present at the EarthX Island Resilience Summit in 2025. In April 2026 he returned to give the summit keynote, and Steve and Ayuda chief of staff Natalia Naranjo hosted a VIP dinner in his honor during EarthX week. Tonga’s coral reefs are bleaching, and the conversation turned to what the Panama Project has done for the reefs and communities of Bocas del Toro. In May 2026 Tonga confirmed that it wants to move ahead.
The Tonga Project will bring the Panama approach to the South Pacific: Rotary Reefs to restore coral, trees and mangroves on land, and a stronger Rotary Club of Nuku’alofa to carry the work locally. Partners so far include the Prime Minister’s office, Tongan ocean scientists, the Rotary Club of Nuku’alofa, ESRAG (the Environmental Sustainability Rotary Action Group) and the Rotary Club of Newport Beach. The first step is a community assessment in Tonga, our annual meetings at EarthX keep the partnership moving, and we hope to launch the first Tonga project by 2029.
The Galapagos Project
The Galapagos Project is a Rotary mangrove restoration effort organized with ESRAG, working with the Galapagos National Park, Rotary District 4400 in Ecuador, the Rotary Club of Newport Beach and Ecuadorian partners including the conservation foundation FUCOBI. It builds on the work of The Mangrove Project, and it is dedicated to the memory of Dr. Mina Venkataraman, an ESRAG director who passed away in September 2026.
Dentists, hygienists, dental students and helpers of every kind are welcome. Tell us where you would like to serve and we will send you the clinic calendar.