"I have absolutely changed as a person. Seeing that community of people who had so little touched my heart by helping me realize the absolute blessings I have in my life. It also inspires me to give back and help others more, because we have the resources to help others." |
"The day we visited the Aco Community in Junin province. We spent the morning taking people's vitals and giving them free health products and pamphlets. Several mothers in the community cooked a delicious lunch for us, and we got to sit outside in the beautiful sunshine eating food and talking with the locals. In the afternoon we followed up with the families of children whose blood tests showed low iron levels by visiting them in their homes. We were able to talk to them about the importance of nutrition, and explained which foods young children should eat to get important vitamins and minerals." |
"My favorite activity was probably going to a very small village...outside of Huancayo to do an annual clinical... There, we learned how to record and take temperature, blood pressure, blood sugar levels, weight, and height. We also visited homes of families...for their children’s anemia (over 60% of the children in this area are anemic). There we got to see how the locals live and interact with the children. It felt like I was making a real difference." |
“Most definitely the Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC) party... these children were all orphans with HIV or other diseases. There were sixteen children ranging from ages five to fifteen, and they were the sweetest children imaginable. For the party... we played musical chairs, limbo, wheelbarrow race, and telephone–which was the most fun because we used English words such as “cat,” “poop,” and “latrine” (we were not very mature). The kids loved it and earned prizes for each game. We gave them large gifts at the end, and we loved every one of them.” |
"I loved how completely immersed in the local culture we were able to be... Working in the clinic and shadowing the physicians was extremely interesting as there were a lot of unique medical cases uncommon in the US, but I also learned a lot about the different struggles these people faced every day and how they worked as a community to help each other. " |
"I liked that we got to live with a host family the most. That was a very unique experience that you don't get to have all the time when you travel. My host family did not speak english so it took a lot of confidence and patience on both ends for us to communicate with each other. It was really interesting learning the family dynamic of another culture." |
“I liked how easy it was to learn from everyone we encountered. The project manager, Ryan, was more than any of us could have asked for from a host and leader. Each person working at the clinic was admirable in their own right, and certainly in the sense that their passion for working in healthcare was so evident. The interactions I shared with the staff and in turn with the patients at the clinic are what tied the trip together for me.” |
“This trip made me so thankful for everything that I have. We are so blessed with a great education system and sanitary medical facilities. I most definitely see myself volunteering in the future. I would love to see a day where people all over the world have the same opportunities that we have here in America, and I plan on doing my part to make sure that happens. “ |
"The trip inspired me to live my life caring for others more and also made me very excited for my future in which I can hopefully return as a physician! It was exactly what I was looking for to inspire me to travel abroad and help in under served communities. It is a truly amazing experience!" |