Our History

Henry Ford once revealed his secret to success was “in the ability to get the other person’s point of view and see things from that person’s angle as well as from your own.” A similar philosophy motivates CHOICE Humanitarian. Since 1982, CHOICE Humanitarian has learned that making positive, long-term improvements in the world’s rural villages depends on understanding what villagers need.

In 1982, Utah dentist Timothy Evans recognized a critical need in Peru and Bolivia for clean, potable water, particularly in many of the isolated villages in the high mountain plains of the Andes. Through his efforts, and a grant from the Thrasher Research Fund, a simple hand pump was developed. It provided clean drinking water for villagers and a way for farmers to water their meager, yet life-sustaining crops.

That year, Dr. Evans formed the Andean Children’s Foundation. His objective was to save children’s lives by offering simple, sustainable technologies that would improve the health and living conditions of villagers. Soon after Dr. Evan’s initial project, he was joined by Dr. James Mayfield, a third-world development expert who had worked with USAID (US Agency for International Development) and UNICEF and taught at the University of Utah. In 1987, they co-founded CHOICE Humanitarian to improve lives through volunteer service. Since then, tens of thousands of people in impoverished rural communities around the world have benefited, and many lives have been saved.

Working alongside villagers, CHOICE volunteers and staff have installed thousands of hand pumps, built hundreds of smokeless Lorena stoves and rainwater catchment systems, designed water filter systems, and trained thousands of technicians. Through the years, CHOICE has expanded its scope of services to include health, educational and micro-credit projects. Other vital projects include building schools, health clinics, and greenhouses. Health workers are trained and women are instructed in the management of micro-credit enterprises.

CHOICE Humanitarian is making an impact. Yet on a global scale, our efforts and many other development organizations have only begun to address the world’s humanitarian needs. CHOICE believes in “The Human Touch.” It is our past, present, and future. We honor our founders. We honor those who have served both here and in many other countries. Please join us as we move to greater levels of humanitarian service throughout the world.