AYUDA 2025 Campo Amigo Program

Dear Friends and Family,

I was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) just before my 9th birthday. My parents noticed some concerning changes in my behavior and appearance while we were on spring break.  Once we got home, my doctors quickly made the diagnosis of T1D, and we started treatment immediately. Between the incredible medical resources and the support of my friends and family during those challenging times, I quickly got healthy and charted a path for success. As I reflect on that time, I am incredibly grateful for the individuals, community and technology that helped me not only achieve a normal childhood but accomplish things beyond my dreams. Today, it is this gratitude that compels my volunteerism and advocacy. As I have learned first hand, with the right tools and support, anyone can live a normal life with T1D.  

As many of you are aware, I spent part of last summer volunteering in the Dominican Republic with a program called American Youth Understanding Diabetes Abroad, (AYUDA). Ayuda is a non-profit volunteer organization that empowers youth to serve as agents of change in diabetes communities around the world. From the local children and families in our program, I saw first hand what living with diabetes was like in an under-resourced environment. The opportunity to provide educational content and material for this community provided me with so much gratitude for the community that I have been surrounded by following my diagnosis. I am filled with hope knowing that with Ayuda, we can help each camper create a model of success for themselves. One of my favorite parts of every day was sharing with the campers that I had diabetes too. Sharing my story and having that immediate bond with each camper was so special and made for a very impactful experience for each of us. 

I am excited to announce that I will be returning to the Dominican Republic this summer. With Ayuda's in-country partner organization, Aprendiendo a Vivir ("learning to live"), and my fellow volunteers, we will develop and host community education initiatives, day-long diabetes outreach projects, and run Campo Amigo. Campo Amigo is a family-centered, diabetes education program that seeks to motivate and support people of all ages with diabetes. Our daily activities will be guided by the basic concept that, “A lack of education is just as dangerous as a lack of insulin.” 

Ayuda places an awesome responsibility on its volunteers by involving us in multiple elements of the program! My fellow volunteers and I participate in monthly workshops where we devote our energy to education, research, activism, fundraising, and recruiting the next generation of volunteers. Through these hands-on experiences and our time abroad, we learn how to become effective agents of social change, not only in the diabetes community but in other areas of society as well. As volunteers, we are asked to raise money so Ayuda can continue its amazing work. Without our donors and the dedication of individual volunteers from the United States and the Dominican Republic, we would not be able to implement programs like Camp Amigo to support local diabetes communities.

I will be traveling to the Dominican Republic on July 19th, but my journey begins today. Please consider supporting my work this summer and the amazing programs that Ayuda hosts. Your support makes sure that local diabetes programs in the Dominican Republic will continue to thrive and that young people in these communities will have access to education and tools that help them live happier, healthier lives. By donating to my effort, you can help me make Campo Amigo 2025 successful and impactful! 

Feel free to reach out with any questions about my work or Ayuda’s program in general! I appreciate your support as I continue to pursue my passion working with the diabetes community both here and abroad.. 

I’ve included some pictures from last summer for you to see the incredible work Ayuda does! 

Thank you, 

Margaret Rauth