Hands to Care

location
1 - 12 weeks  ·  Age 18 - 50+

rating  Outstanding 4.9  · 
  Verified by Volunteer World
  Excellent response rate

Highlights

  • Welcome to the First Public Health Center of Perú. At CESAPU, we believe that we can improve the health of the people by implementing interactive programs that generate healthy attitudes and behaviors
  • CESAPU is a pioneer center in the practice of public health that develops programs to promote physical, mental, and communal health in the village of Villa Los Angeles, Huanchaquito Peru.
  • "I definetly miss every single one of the staff members and the young children that inpacted extremly in my life. They made this trip worth it" - Yareli Rodriguez
  • Experiences beautiful sunsets every night at 6 pm in our project location and in on our neighboring beach! Also it is surrounded by humble and friendly neighbors and many loveable children
  • Peruvians are known for being warm and friendly people and they will want to teach you all about your culture and traditions!


Especially good for

Age 18+
Singles
Couples
Families
Groups
50+
Wheel Chairs

About the program

Volunteers needed from around the world for hands-on projects in our community public health center. It is not only for health careers. You can share your time & talents

Our projects are centered around making a positive impact. Your participation with HOP creates positive change and inspires students to continue making a difference with a deeper sense of global and public health. We are driven to provide a sustainable, positive impact, alongside our local project ...

About the program

Our projects are centered around making a positive impact. Your participation with HOP creates positive change and inspires students to continue making a difference with a deeper sense of global and public health. We are driven to provide a sustainable, positive impact, alongside our local project participants and our global partners.

As a HOP international volunteer you can participate as :

-a Global Health Intern supporting one of the CESAPU programs, ideal for MPH students to do their practicum, health professionals and students in health careers with passion in public health, community health, global health or primary care. Also, NO MAJOR or career path is mandatory to participate like an intern. We have opportunities for various disciplines. You can make a difference, just with the willingness to give back to a community in need.

As an intern you are expected to work at least 4 hours per day.

- Premed Program : It is a structured program for medical or pre medical students, includes medical lessons and workshops, rotations in health centers and clinics, local doctors shadowing. You will get an once in a lifetime experience learning the ins and outs of health care in Peru.

- We host Group mission trips! : Organize a class trip or a mission trip with friends or work colleagues. We have an extensive experience working with groups. We specifically need help in the following professions: Public Health, OB/GYN, Primary Care Physicians, Dentists, Pediatricians, Ultrasound technicians/ Radiologists, Nurses, among others.



Typical day

A typical day with Hands on Peru depending of the way of volunteering you are participating.

Hands to Care: You will be expected to be able to take height, weight, blood pressure, respiration rates, pulse, and clinical history. The volunteer will also be trained to do the following: glucose meter ...

Typical day

A typical day with Hands on Peru depending of the way of volunteering you are participating.

Hands to Care: You will be expected to be able to take height, weight, blood pressure, respiration rates, pulse, and clinical history. The volunteer will also be trained to do the following: glucose meter tests for diabetes, auscultation exams, and potentially assist the nurses with vaccinations and other activities of primary care. Also we have opportunities to shadow doctors or health centers rotations to learn more about the local health system works.

Year Round Medical Volunteers in our Public Health program : You can participate in education, children care, women's empowerment, environmental interaction, sexual and reproductive health rights, nutrition and cooking class, mental health, community engagement, economic opportunities, among others.

Free-time activities

Activities
HOP programs specific activities for each session or type of volunteering. The activities are based on the time, the climate, the number of volunteers, and the possibility of the activity being available. The extra activities are basically into the premeds in special session included. And ...

Free-time activities

Activities
HOP programs specific activities for each session or type of volunteering. The activities are based on the time, the climate, the number of volunteers, and the possibility of the activity being available. The extra activities are basically into the premeds in special session included. And are activities that include tourism, leisure in the free time. It will be communicated to you during your orientation. The activities may include: tours of ancient Moche ruins such as Chan Chan and Huaca del Sol, sand boarding, surfing, salsa lessons, Marinera show (local typical dance), typical dinner out, etc.

Requirements

Requirements

Minimum Age: 18 years

In order to join the program you need to be at least 18 years old on the program start date. There might be exemptions if you can provide the permission of your legal guardian(s) or if your are accompanied by your parents.

Language Skills

You need to speak Spanish (basic level)

Education Requirements

Health careers, education, marketing, engineers, pedagogues, sports, business administration, economics, idioms, fashion design and more at University is ideal but not mandatory level

Nationality Restrictions

No restrictions. Helping hands from all over the world are welcome.

Time Commitment

Your helping hand will be required on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday

What's Included

What's Included

Services by Hands on Peru

What's Included in the Program Fee for Special 5 week group Sessions: "Hands to Care" or "Hands to Teach"
- Airport pick up/drop off from Trujillo airport
- Comfortable home-stay (WiFi, warm water, and other amenities)
- 3 meals a day (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) included in your home stay
- All Educational, clinical & outreach volunteer experiences
- Transportation to the worksites and to the programmed activities.
- 5 cultural activities
- Hop volunteer t-shirt & other HOP merchandise
- 2 to 3 medical classes per week taught by health professionals
- 24+ hour support from volunteer coordinator
- All tools and equipment necessary for the health and education campaigns.

What's Included in the Program Fee for Global Health Intern, Graduate student in a health profession, and Healthcare Professionals
- Included Airport pick up/drop off from Trujillo airport
- Comfortable home-stay (WiFi, warm water, and other amenities)
- 3 meals a day (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) included in your home stay
- Transportation to the worksites and to the programmed activities.
- 1 cultural activity per month
- Hop volunteer t-shirt
- Rotations in health clinics
- 24+ hour support from volunteer coordinator

Airport Pickup at Trujillo Airport

All volunteers will be picked up at the airport by a HOP staff member or representative of HOP. We encourage volunteers to fly directly to the Trujillo/Huanchaco airport. This requires flying through Lima, and going through customs in Lima. If you are not able to fly into Trujillo due to delays, arrangements will be made for your safety and your lodging in Lima.

Please note: The process of Peruvian customs, baggage claim and baggage re-check in will take about 3 hours. Please plan accordingly.

Accommodation

Volunteers live with a Peruvian family in Trujillo or Huanchaco. You get the opportunity to hear their experiences, enjoy their stories, and form a special bond with them. This is a great idea for those who prefer to be completely immersed in the Peruvian culture. Peruvians are known for being warm and friendly people and they will want to teach you all about your culture and traditions! From taking you to their favorite restaurant to buying local fruits and tamales from their favorite street vendor, you will get a truly authentic experience of what Peru is like from someone who has lived there all their life. The home stays in Trujillo are about a 45 minute micro ride (Trujillo’s main form of public transportation) to our CESAPU clinic. The Huanchaco home stays are 10 minutes from our clinic.

*Home stays differ in their degrees of luxury, as some families are wealthier than others and the living standards differ from city to city. All home stays have been reviewed by HOP staff and are clean and  comfortable with western-style toilets and showers. You may be sharing a room with another volunteer, or you may have your own room. Depending if other volunteers applied same time than you.

According to previous volunteers, the home stay experience is one of the most enjoyable and memorable experiences of their trip.

Food & Beverages

Meals:
Three meals per day are provided at the home stay. We work with our host families to accommodate each volunteer's dietary needs, but it is important to keep in mind that the same foods that you eat at home may not be readily available in Peru, and we encourage you to be flexible and take advantage of the opportunity to try homemade Peruvian cuisine. Peruvians are very passionate about their gastronomical tradition and are excited for you to try all of their favorite dishes.

*We will accommodate around dietary restrictions, vegans and vegetarians are welcome!

Internet Access

Good access at the project site

What's NOT included?

What's NOT included?

Flight Tickets

The nearest airport is Trujillo Airport (TRU) in Trujillo. We assist you to find cheap flights to Peru. FIND CHEAP FLIGHTS

Travel Insurance

Going abroad is an adventure and it is always best to be prepared. Sudden illness or injury, cancellation or theft - a travel insurance for Peru provides security and is a plus to have. GET A QUOTE

Vaccines

If you are intending to volunteer in Peru you should seek medical advice before starting your social journey. Check your required vaccinations for Peru. VACCINE CHECKER

Details on arrival

In CESAPU”. We offer exceptional experiences for people who seek a platform for social impact, giving them the opportunities to develop a deeper understanding of global health. This internship is designed for passionate, dedicated  individuals who are dedicated to projects for development, to help research, design, implement, evaluate, and assist one of our community programs.

GLOBAL HEALTH INTERN
 This opportunity is available year-round and dates are flexible to the schedule of the intern. Most interns are recent college graduates, between the ages of 21-29. But there is no age requirement or limit.

Interns will be encouraged to choose 1-3 of the CESAPU PROGRAMS, in which they will dedicate their time and effort. They will be expected to take a leadership position, and if necessary, help fundraise money if they want to implement a large-scale program. This program is ideal for MPH students to do their practicum. But also health professionals. We also have functions for people of other disciplines. They are expected to work at least 4 hours per day.

Duration: 1 month minimum is the ideal but we can adapt us to your availability.

Requirements: Intermediate/basic Spanish

*Price, Duration & Requirements are flexible for nurses, doctors, radiologists, and other health professionals.                                 

MISSION TRIPS

We have opportunities for graduate students and healthcare professionals and they have the opportunity to can pick their own dates.

Availability
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Program fees

1 week (min. stay) 547€
3 weeks 1,243€
5 weeks 2,485€
12 weeks (max. stay) 4,971€
Average fees 480€/week

Program fees

480€ per week 1 - 12 weeks Age 18 - 50+

Payment methods

Visa Master Card Maestro American Express PayPal

NO CREDIT CARD FEES


Duration

1 - 12 weeks

Deposit

The deposit is simply to reserve your volunteer placement. Payments are handled by PayPal, our trusted global payment provider. If you don't have a PayPal account, you can also pay using a credit card.


Final Payment

Your final payment will be agreed with Hands on Peru during the application process. Common solutions are either via bank transfer or a cash payment at the project site.


Meet your organization

Hands on Peru

Outstanding 4.9 rating (8 reviews)

Non-profit - founded in 2013

Verified by Volunteer World

  Excellent response rate

Coordinated by

Mira

Spoken languages: English, Spanish

About the project

We built a public health center that focuses on prevention, promotion & education of health.

Meet your organization

    Hands on Peru is a nonprofit organization 501(c) 3 ; headquartered in Peru and US and co-founded by two global health advocates in 2013, as a response to the deep inequities in access to medical care and by the gaps caused by a weak state health system in the country.

    CESAPU (Centro de Salud Pública, or Center for Public Health) is the main project of HOP Hands on Peru and it is located in the district of Huanchaco, Province of Trujillo, Department of La Libertad. It is located between Trujillo City and Huanchaco Beach and easily accessible via public transportation. 90% of its inhabitants live in poverty, with no access to sewage & clean water, in what can be called a modern urban slum dwelling. It is located right next to Chan Chan, ancient Chimu ruins, and experiences beautiful sunsets every night at 6 pm. It is surrounded by humble and friendly neighbors and many loveable children! 

    HOP works to increase access to healthcare and essential health services for low-income communities. CESAPU primary care services like: medical consults, dental, ultrasound, nutrition, & physical therapy in the mornings.

    At CESAPU, we firmly believe that we can improve the health of the people of Huanchaco by implementing interactive programs that generate healthy attitudes and behaviors in order to improve social determinants of health and reduce risk factors for disease. Our afternoons include participatory programs in the afternoon like cooking class, knitting class, zumba class, tutoring, and surf class, so that individuals feel more engaged & empowered in their health. One of our most successful programs has been CHIMUK, #knittingabetterfuture, a brand of handknit alpaca products that employs over 20 women in a dignified & fulfilling way.

    Hands on Peru also works to train the next generation of healthcare professionals. Our international volunteer program allows the volunteer an opportunity to serve a needy community, and it also provides the volunteer with an incredibly culturally rich experience, one that can enhance their world view, teach them about the importance of public health and prevention.

    Health, well-being, and happiness is our primary focus. 

8 reviews · rating4.9

Cassie Jones rating5

2019 at Hands to Care

Through HOP, I was able to shadow physicians in Peru, interact with people of their culture, receive valuable medical training and experiences, lead public health campaigns, and get an idea of what it would be like to practice medicine in developing countries! ...
Lea Parry rating4.4

2019 at Hands to Care

I spent a month working at the clinic as a full-time volunteer, living with a family at the centre of Trujillo. It was a very varied and interesting month. I learnt, along with a dozen expectant mothers, the key stages of child development whilst they waited for ultrasounds. I saw queues of people ...
Collin Simpson rating5

2018 at Hands to Care

Hands on Peru opened my eyes and helped solidify my passion. My time in Peru solidified my passion for the Spanish language and my desire to be a medical professional. My Hands on Peru (HOP) experience was the recipe for my ideal career. I’ve always wanted to provide medical care to individuals ...
Kayce Scinta rating5

2018 at Hands to Care

I first volunteered with HOP when I was a sophomore in college. I absolutely loved my summer in Peru. It was perfect blend of helping others and experiencing the culture of Peru. After returning home from my first visit to Peru in 2014, I become a Campus Coordinator for Hands on Peru. I helped ...
Montserrat Dorantes rating5

2018 at Hands to Care

Hands on Peru really impacted me for the best and taught me so many things about public health that I love but also impacted me to become more aware of my passion for helping others ...
Elizabeth Pedersen rating4.6

2017 at Hands to Care

I administered vaccines, shadowed doctors, assisted with dental screenings, performed health screenings, learned about surgical techniques, and got a well-rounded experience of Peruvian ...

Location

Americas > South America > Peru > Huanchaco

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