Work in the health project in PERU

Project Summary

Project At A Glance

Location: Cusco, Urubamba Start point: Cusco End Point: Cusco Duration: 2-12 weeks Hours: 30-40 hours per week Food: Local food (3 times a day) Room: Host family or hostel Date: First and Third Monday of each month

Primary health care is one particular program significantly lacking resources and attention among the widely-spread, impoverished people of Peru . People die everyday because many villages do not have doctors or basic health care facilities such as clinics or hospitals. Volunteers with health care backgrounds can help fill this void by teaching health care tips in informal education centers, schools, or local organizations.

Skill/Qualifications

Volunteers interested in joining Volunteer Health Program in Peru must possess health care certification, such as an ID as a medical student, EMT or paramedic certification, or nursing or physician's credentials. Medical volunteers without credentials are not allowed to work in this program due to the associated, potential risks.

Volunteers responsibilities

Depending on your medical experience and Spanish language skills you may be asked to assist with various procedures such as delivering babies, suturing wounds, and giving vaccinations. Some volunteers may also be asked to help with vaccination and public health campaigns. Plac em ent in health projects requires notarized documentation of your medical school, nursing school, or other medical training.

Room/Food

Volunteers in Peru stay in a home stay during the culture and language immersion program. You will have a private room and be fed three meals of Peruvian fare each day. Once the language and culture week/weeks are over, our coordinator takes you to your project for introduction. You could change host families at this time, depending on the location of your project. Some of the orphanage and Health Clinics are located in the outskirts of Cusco so you will be moved to a rural home closer to your project. This way you will have an easier commute to the sight each day.

Again, the vast majority of our Peru volunteers live with local host families where you are provided a private room and three meals. Bathroom and kitchen facilities are shared with the family and other volunteers (yes, you might have another volunteer living with you.) The host family doesn't offer laundry service but some will happily take up the task for a small fee, this is up to you to negotiate. If you choose to do your own laundry most families are happy to let you use their wash basins where you wash by hand then line dry your clothes.