Burn Advocates Network

Lore & Background

BAN expanded its international activities in response to the 2010 Haiti earthquake, which resulted in approximately 1,000 individuals suffering from burns and lacking adequate care. Founder Samuel Davis, trial lawyer and lecturer, has worked with burn survivors with serious injuries for over 30 years. After witnessing the positive effects of burn camps on his clients, he began sponsoring individual burn survivors from around the world. The local operation quickly expanded into an international organization, following the Haiti earthquake. In 2012, Samuel Davis received the Clarence Darrow Award for his ongoing philanthropic work.

Reader's Guide

Based in Teaneck, New Jersey, Burn Advocates Network operates three pediatric burn camps: Camp Sababa - Israel's first burn camp, founded in 2009, operates in cooperation with Schneider Hospital for Children, takes place in Kfar Galim, a youth village outside of Haifa. Camp Karma - India's first burn camp, founded in 2013, operates in cooperation with KEM Hospital, takes place in Rivergate Resort, outside of Mumbai. Camp Samba - Launched in São Paulo in 2017. BAN also initiated the DR & Haiti Burn Care Network, which seeks to improve burn care and treatment in the region. Since 2010, BAN has treated over 200 burn survivors through 6 medical missions, distributed over 50,000 tons of medical supplies and equipment, and sponsored several surgeons on medical exchange programs. In order to improve communication between aid workers and local victims, BAN launched the iOS app 'French Creole for Aid Workers' in 2011. The organization is funded through private donations and fundraising events. By relying on volunteers and interns, BAN is able to keep its camps free for all participants.

Did You Know?

• Today there are approximately 60 burn camps worldwide, 31 of them based in the United States and registered at the International Association of Burn Camps.
• Burn camps typically include accommodation, offer various activities such as arts and crafts, cooking sessions and drumming circles, and are tuition-free for campers.
• The age of participants varies from 6-18 and the number of participants from 15 to 100.
• Several academic studies have demonstrated that burn survivors who participated in burn camps experienced decreased isolation, improved self-esteem and improved social skills.

Origins & the Founder's Vision

Samuel Davis, a trial lawyer and lecturer, had spent more than three decades working alongside burn survivors dealing with serious injuries. During that long stretch of legal and personal engagement, he observed firsthand how burn camps transformed the lives of his clients—reducing their isolation and rebuilding their confidence. That observation became the seed for something larger. In 2008, he founded the Burn Advocates Network, a nonprofit headquartered in Teaneck, New Jersey, with a clear mandate: to support burn survivors through recovery, rehabilitation, and reintegration. What began as Davis sponsoring individual survivors from around the world grew rapidly into an international operation, particularly after the 2010 Haiti earthquake exposed a critical gap in burn care for roughly 1,000 victims. His sustained philanthropic commitment was formally recognized in 2012 when he received the Clarence Darrow Award for his ongoing charitable work.

The Pediatric Burn Camp Network

BAN's signature program is its trio of pediatric burn camps, each a first-of-its-kind in its respective country. Camp Sababa, launched in 2009 in partnership with Schneider Hospital for Children, holds sessions at a youth village outside Haifa, Israel. Camp Karma followed in 2013, operating with KEM Hospital at a resort outside Mumbai, India. Camp Samba debuted in São Paulo in 2017. Together these camps sit within a global ecosystem of roughly 60 burn camps, 31 of which are based in the United States and registered through the International Association of Burn Camps. Campers aged 6 to 18—groups ranging from 15 to 100 participants—enjoy tuition-free weeks of accommodation, arts and crafts, cooking sessions, and drumming circles. Academic research has confirmed that survivors who attend these camps report less isolation, stronger self-esteem, and better social skills.

Haiti Response & International Medical Missions

The 2010 Haiti earthquake became a defining catalyst for BAN's international work. Approximately 1,000 people sustained burns in the disaster and had virtually no access to adequate treatment. In response, the organization launched the DR & Haiti Burn Care Network, a dedicated effort to strengthen burn care and treatment across the region. Since that initial response, BAN has conducted six medical missions, treating more than 200 burn survivors, distributing over 50,000 tons of medical supplies and equipment, and sponsoring surgeons on exchange programs to build local capacity. Recognizing that language barriers could hinder effective care, the organization also developed an iOS application called "French Creole for Aid Workers" in 2011, helping field workers communicate directly with local victims. This multi-pronged approach—direct treatment, supply distribution, training, and communication tools—has made BAN a sustained presence in Caribbean burn care rather than a one-time relief effort.

Funding Model & Grassroots Sustainability

A notable feature of BAN's operational philosophy is its commitment to keeping every camp completely free for participants. The organization is sustained entirely through private donations and fundraising events, with no institutional or government funding mentioned in its model. To keep overhead low, BAN relies heavily on volunteers and interns to run its programs, from coordinating camp logistics to managing medical missions. This volunteer-driven structure allows the organization to channel donated resources directly into what survivors need: accommodation, activities, medical supplies, and training for local healthcare workers. The result is a lean, community-powered nonprofit where the financial burden never falls on the children or families it serves. Whether a camper is in Kfar Galim, a resort outside Mumbai, or São Paulo, the experience is tuition-free by design, a principle that has remained consistent from the organization's founding in 2008 through its expansion to three continents.