Peru’s medical facilities are critically understaffed and underfunded, and many medical establishments struggle to provide even basic medical care to the people they serve. The hospitals are overburdened with patients, many of whom have illnesses preventable by basic hygiene and healthy living practices. The doctors in these hospitals lack the time and resources to teach each patient how to live a healthy life. The central goal of FIMRC’s Peru program is to provide staff support to Peru’s Ministry of Health both in medical facilities and within the community.

To work toward these goals, volunteers will:

• Assist doctors in the examination room, help with patient intake by recording vital signs for each patient and visit homes in the community with nurses.
• Run interactive health education workshops in local schools and orphanages.  This includes showing children how to brush their teeth, explaining the importance of hygiene and washing hands and demonstrating the treatment of minor cuts. Students will also work with the parents to ensure safe and hygienic water treatment and cooking practices. 
• Participate in cultural activities pertinent to the project location. Some groups will meet with a local shaman to learn about traditional Andean medicine. Others will tour important natural and cultural locations of interest. Part of the goal of this project is for the student to form a connection with local sites and populations.

 

Our project in Peru is unique in that students will be working in public hospitals and clinics rather than a FIMRC clinic, offering a unique glimpse into systems of medicine vastly different from those in the US. Students will at once witness the problem (a severely underserved population) and attempts at a solution (Peru's socialized medical system) in three drastically different arenas: an urban center on the coast, an urban area in the Andes, and a rural area in the Andes.

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FIMRC sends volunteers to three Peruvian sites: Trujillo, Agallpampa, and Huancayo. Trujillo and Huancayo are major cities; Agallpampa is a rural village.

Trujillo—A coastal city of 600,000 and the capital of the Peruvian north, Trujillo is steeped in Latin culture and archaeological history. Spanish colonial mansions still stand in the central district of Trujillo. Volunteers are a fifteen-minute bus ride away from some of Peru’s most important historical sites, including the ancient Moche administrative centers and temples that predate the Inca by 1,500 years. For relaxation, volunteers are twenty minutes away from Huanchaco Beach, a famous Peruvian surfing destination. Trujillo is an 8.5-hour bus ride or 45-minute plane ride from the capital of Lima.

Agallpampa—A village of 700 people at 10,000 ft above sea level, Agallpampa is the regional center of a sprawling network of Andean villages. On the way to Agallpampa’s health center, volunteers will witness the area’s pastoral landscape sparsely populated with adobe houses.  On Agallpampa’s horizon is the Andes mountain range, which many consider to be among the world’s most beautiful scenery.  It is important to note that life in this area is more rustic than in the city: volunteers will be living in a house, but running water is scarce and warm showers uncommon. Agallpampa is 2-2.5 hours east from Trujillo by bus. We will distribute volunteers between three clinic sites: Agallpampa’s primary care clinic, a primary care clinic in the nearby Andean city of Otuzco, and Otuzco’s regional hospital.

Huancayo—Located in Peru’s central highlands, Huancayo is a culturally vibrant city surrounded by small artisan towns.  Its hiking trails and nightlife make it a popular destination for visitors. 
It is rich in Andean culture and has a more heavily native population than the more pan-Latino coast. Huancayo’s high standard of living is comparable to that of Trujillo. It is 6.5 hours away from Lima by bus.

Volunteer Details
Spanish proficiency is recommended, but not required by FIMRC. Keep in mind that your shadowing experience may be conducted entirely in Spanish with the possibility of an English translator. Volunteers may find the experience to be more enriching if they have some familiarity with the language.

The nature of the volunteer mission to Peru will vary depending on the number of volunteers in each group, the seasonal timing of the mission, the length of the volunteer trip, respective proficiencies in Spanish, medical expertise and training, and the current needs of the community and the clinic upon arrival.

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We will arrange homestays for volunteers with Peruvian families.  For the first and last nights of the trip, many volunteers will stay in a comfortable backpackers’ hostel in Lima overlooking the Pacific Ocean. FIMRC screens all families and ensures that everyone is satisfied with their placement. The $20/day housing rate includes 3 home-cooked meals.

We ask that you indicate all housing preferences, including pet and food allergies, in the enrollment forms. All of the houses are clean with western style toilets and showers.

Transportation within Peru will be arranged by FIMRC, and paid for by the volunteer at cost (transportation in Peru is not expensive).

All volunteers will fly into Lima, and will have the option of flying or taking safe, comfortable buses to their destination. If they elect to take ground transportation, volunteers will either take an overnight bus that arrives at their destination in the morning or they will stay at the prearranged backpackers’ hostel in Lima and travel to their destination the following day.

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The vaccination requirements for travel from the U.S. to Peru change from year to year.  Please refer to the website of the Centers for Disease Control (http://wwwn.cdc.gov/travel/destinationPeru.aspx) for updates on outbreaks and vaccination suggestions.  FIMRC requires that all volunteers are up to date on vaccinations as outlined by the CDC. 

For travel to Peru, volunteers should also get vaccinated for:

• Hepatitis A
• Typhoid
• Yellow Fever
• Malaria medication is not necessary if the volunteer stays within the boundaries of FIMRC’s cities. If the volunteer plans on traveling on their own to the Amazon regions of Peru (especially Peru’s greater Northeast), s/he should consider bringing along prophylactic malaria medication.

Each participant needs to have health insurance that covers travel overseas.  If present coverage does not extend to outside the country of origin, participants must purchase health insurance for the time spent in Costa Rica. TravelSafe provides reasonably priced medical coverage and medical evacuation services.

Please remember to bring sufficient personal medications, if needed, for the entirety of your time away from home.

US citizens can enter the country with their U.S. Passport. Volunteers who do not hold a US passport must check with the embassy for current regulations. Please see the embassy website and look up visa requirements.

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 The costs for a one-week volunteer mission are as follows:

• Airfare approx: $500 to $900 (dependent upon travel dates & season, the volunteer is responsible for booking his/her ticket.)
• Program donation: $525 per week ($75 for each additional day)
• Food/housing/transportation in-country: $400
• Spending money: $150 (approximate)

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The Project Peru Team

The following staff members have been essential in establishing the volunteer program in Peru.  Feel free to contact them directly with any further questions you may have:

Ryan Vass
Project Manager, Peru 
Vice President of Volunteer Programs
ryan.vass@fimrc.org

Diana Morales Castro
Logistics Coordinator in Peru
dianamc3@gmail.com

Stacy Wallick
Vice President of Project Development
Member, Board of Directors – Public Health Focus
stacy.wallick@fimrc.org

Elisa McDaniel                      
Program Analyst, Peru
FIMRC Ambassador
elisa.mcdaniel@fimrc.org

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