Barefoot Doctors Program 2025

Overview

The Barefoot Doctors Program is an effective and tested means to provide health care for people in rural Burma (Myanmar). Our Barefoot Doctors trainees provide life-saving health care to regions of Burma where there is no other medical care. As leaders in their communities, these men and women from the countries’ most neglected regions: Kachin, Shan, Rakhine, and Chin states learn from medical professionals to diagnose and treat a variety of common tropical and majority world ailments. The program places significant emphasis on equipping leaders to empower their local communities in preventive medicine, living healthier life-styles, and multiplying the principles to whole villages.

For more about the Barefoot Doctors see the 2025 Report.

Highlights of the 2025 Training

Siripong and __ confirm delivery of the medication
The BFD students organize their allotment of medication.
Dovey and some of the amazing cooks.
Lynda (RN) and Mayzida instructing on Anger Management.
Dr. Bruce and Pesarram prepare the students for the final test.
Head chef, Salika, and team prepare 3 meals and snacks each day for 40 participants.
Timothy, school organizer, waits for breakfast.
The story of each student and trainers were recorded on video.
JP helps Dr. Susan capture an image of the ear drum.
Dr. Susan teaches about hypertension.
Dr. Bruce is a fierce Uno competitor.
The amazing BFD ladies.
The married guys buying appliances to take home.
Lynda (RN) teaching about addictions.
Biblical teaching is the program’s foundation.
Mervyn conducts a week of Bible training.
Dr. Dinesh collaborates with Mervyn, teaching Bible.
Beverley with the hardworking staff.
Dr. Eddie conducts a dental clinic when all training concluded.
The BFD students treated 80 patients in two days.
The students scaled and removed teeth.
The students in traditional clothes.

Background

The name, “Barefoot Doctors”, comes from the 1930’s Rural Reconstruction Movement in China, which sought to fill the gap of needed medical workers in rural areas. Farmers, who often worked barefoot in their rice fields, received basic medical training to assist their villages. Likewise, FLC’s Barefoot Doctors are “tentmakers”; doing other vocations and offering their medical skills without charge.

FLC’s curriculum utilizes the renowned book, Where There Is No Doctor, training from medical professionals, and the whole person approach of Christian compassion with improved physical development of individuals and communities. All of the teachers pay their own way to Chiang Mai, and donate their services to train the Barefoot Doctors.

Details

To date, FLC has trained and equipped over 150 Barefoot Doctor medical practitioners. Most are still actively providing medical health care to their communities. Each graduating class consists of approximately 25 students who remain in the program for three years, and train in five-week segments for each of the three years. The most recent group of students began in 2024 and graduate in 2026.

The trainees learn pre- and post-natal care, baby delivery, wound treatment, instructing others with basic hygiene, detecting common diseases in the region (dysentery, malaria, and TB), safe administration of medications, dental care and extraction, and much more. Overall, the program places a strong emphasis on preventing diseases and strengthening community health.

Over the three decades of running the program, tens of thousands of people have received care any many lives saved because of the Barefoot Doctors’ work.